Infinite Abyss
by catharticdeficit
Summary: [AU] Katara is Zuko's slave and tries to help him in capturing the Avatar. Goodbyes are said too early and I love you's too late. ZukoxKatara songfic. Rated M for sexual references.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Infinite Abyss

**Rating:** T (maybe M in later chapters)

**Genre:** Romance/Tragedy

**Warning: **Lime,but still PG enough.

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**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except this plot, and a few packs of gum.

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**Most of the songs in this fic are by Kitchie Nadal. Her songs are one of the inspirations that made me do this story in the first place. Another is the wonderful authoress, Vicky So, whose songfics, _Ho'Wan Island Carnival, Deathly: A Zutara songfic, _and _Captured! The Zutara Musical!_ are a real treat to read. I have many authors to pimp, but I'll do it in later chapters.

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****CHAPTER 1: Creature of Habit**

Her cerulean eyes squinted at the bright sunlight as the wind whipped around her face, causing a windburn. She smiled vibrantly, the laughter and joy in her eyes outmatching any stars, moon, and sun in the cloudless sky at dusk. She breathed deeply the salty scent of the ocean, her lungs taking in more oxygen than what was necessary.

She had never felt so alive, so free, as she did at that moment, being able to see the vast ocean that was just under her feet; the waves lapping up on the side of the ship sprinkling little droplets of her element across her mocha face and blue tunic.

The teenage girl tried to keep it all in, enjoying the moment because she knew it wouldn't last. Nothing ever does, as far as she was concerned, she thought grimly, knowing that life was just a brief moment to be happy for a few seconds, then suffer for all eternity. Life was like that. Nothing is permanent. Lives, loves, friends, siblings…they all just vanish in an instant when it was time.

She knew that far too well. She lost everything that ever mattered to her in a matter of minutes…her mother first, then her father, her brother, her grandmother, her friends…. Death and destruction in every corner and then, she was taken away, with the promise that she will never come back. Little did she know for the next six years, she will be living like this, as a slave to the heir to the Fire Nation throne.

Her hands gripped tighter on the railing as the unwanted memories came flooding back to her brain like opium, drugging her senses, making her see horrible visions, clouding her brain, letting her recall the most horrible experiences in her life.

A gong rang through the ship, and the girl from the Southern Water Nation tribe sighed deeply. She turned from her spot on the railing and went up to the ship's hull, just in time to see two Firebenders bowing with each other—a mark of respect and gratitude after a long, hard training. She noticed that the older man with the moustache bowed lower than what was necessary; again, another mark of how much the middle-aged soldier deeply revered the young prince who turned out to be his sparring partner.

The slave girl plastered a smile on her face once she saw that her master was already approaching her. She picked up the fluffy towel from a crate nearby and waited patiently until her lord was sitting on the crate and already drinking from the water flask.

"How did your training go, my lord?" she asked politely as she wiped the sweat off his face, and his arms. She was just about to kneel down in front of him and mop up the moisture from his chest and stomach when he put down his flask and answered.

"I learned a few new techniques, and got quite a work-out. All in all, it went pretty well. No burns or cuts like last time."

"That is very good to hear, my lord." She stood behind him and was already working on drying his back.

"Why did you leave, Katara? You always loved to see me when I train."

"I'm afraid, my lord, that your present sparring partner…he…well…. I can't speak of it, my lord. I fear that I will cause some trouble," the girl called Katara answered. Fire Prince Zuko could feel a slight tremor in her hands as she moved behind him.

"What's wrong?" Zuko's face lost its humor and his brows were furrowed.

Katara hesitated—a bit too long and it got Zuko's nerves.

"Tell me, I order you to!"

Katara gulped and stammered, "He, well, he…was making advances on me a fortnight ago…during the Music Night. He was drunk, but what he said didn't please me all too much and I…could feel him watching me whenever I'm at his presence." She turned away in embarrassment as she waited for the furious diatribe from her master, telling her to grow up and be used to his soldiers making…fun…of her. It was no big deal, and she was just imagining things. But to her surprise, he scowled.

Zuko had always disliked Music Night, and would rather stay shut up in his quarters and meditate than endure a whole night of noise and drunken soldiers singing and playing the musical saw. He let Katara join in the festivities, but now, he had half a mind to forbid her from joining again.

"That bastard…and I was wondering why he kept on glancing your way when, as you termed it, you're in his presence. Don't worry, I'll talk to him. He won't bother you after I'm through with him."

"No…no, my lord!" Katara protested feebly, knowing that whatever she said won't affect anything once the stubborn prince has decided on something. "I do not wish to cause trouble!" She knew what her master would do, and it consisted of an excellent sparring partner and Firebender being thrown overboard for 'insubordination' against the Prince.

"You were always too compassionate, Katara. You take every injustice thrown at you like it was nothing! Have I taught you anything? Haven't all those trainings toughing you up to be my bodyguard and subordinate given you the cruelty and fierceness every good servant of mine should possess? What if somebody tries to kill me, will you just stand there and say that you do not wish to cause trouble for the poor man who tried to assassinate me to feed his children?" His voice rose angrily and the torches that lighted up the upper deck flared with his temper.

"No! NO!" Katara was appalled at the very thought of her lord killed and even more so at his suggestion that she would just step back and let the assassins take his life away. "I live to serve you, to protect you! I would die before anybody could go as far as to threaten you! I've shown my loyalty to you many times before! Why would I destroy it now?"

Her words calmed Zuko somewhat and he took again his flask and drank until not a drop was left. He stood up when Katara was finished with his body.

"Let's go back to my room."

Katara nodded dumbly, still shaken,and followed the Prince all the way to his quarters at the west side of the ship. With a snap of his fingers, he caused the lamps scattered around his bedroom to catch fire and glow brightly against their rice paper confines. The oil lamps created an eerie glow around the steel-walled space, something that Katara was too used to even notice sharply.

Zuko threw himself at the red sofa and Katara hurriedly went to the adjoining bathroom to prepare his bath. When the water was at the right temperature, she went back to the bedroom, only to see him asleep on the sofa, his head on his chest and his breathing slow and controlled. Katara loathed waking him when he was looking so peaceful but he needed to attend a meeting with the captain of the ship soon; they were running low on supplies and needed to dock.

Gently, she shook his shoulders and saw his eyelids flutter open.

"What? What time is it?" he asked, cricking his neck and standing up from his seat.

"Your bath's ready, my lord."

"Okay. Katara, come and bathe me. I'm much too tired to do it myself."

And so, Katara spent the next few minutes scrubbing and lathering Zuko with expensive soaps and perfumes. Thank heavens he had decency enough to wrap a towel around his private parts so Katara wouldn't feel too uncomfortable. When Katara had rinsed off the last bubble in his body, she took a towel from a nearby chair.

"You are done, my lord. Please step off the bathtub so that I may dry you off and I can put you in your armor afterwards."

A hand shot up from the tub and caught her wrist. In a second, Katara was in the tub with him, splashing water everywhere. Her clothes were wet and she could feel her chest straining through the thin, wet fabric. She tried to hide a blush when she noticed she was in his arms, her head at his shoulder and their legs intertwined.

"Stay here for a while; the water is so warm and soothing."

"But sir, these were my last dry clothes and my spareis still drying off. You also need to be in a meeting in a few minutes. We should go."

"I'll give you some of my old clothes and those geezers can wait until hell freezes over for me. So shut up and enjoy the moment. Besides, you stink. You really do need a bath," he snapped and Katara shut her mouth.

For a few minutes, they lay there on the tub, Katara taking pleasure in being this close to him, to fell his steady breathing against her ear. She felt too relaxed and then began humming a slow song.

(Katara)

_Dancing bears,_

_Painted wings,_

_Things I almost remember,_

_And a song someone sings,_

_Once upon a December_

_Someone holds me safe and warm,_

_Horses prance through a silver storm,_

_Figures dancing gracefully across my memory..._

_Far away, long ago,_

_Glowing dim as an ember_

_Things my heart used to know_

_Once upon a December_

_Someone holds me safe and warm,_

_Horses prance through a silver storm,_

_Figures dancing gracefully across my memory_

_Far away, long ago_

_Glowing dim as an ember,_

_Things my heart used to know,_

_Things it yearns to remember_

_And a song someone sings,_

_Once upon a December_

When she stopped, she heard Zuko groan.

"Why did you stop singing? That was a really good song. Better than the noise my crew makes during music night. Where did you learn it?"

"My…mother used to sing it to me, when she told me of stories of a woman who was separated from her family and then, sees something that reminds her of home…. I think that story was my grandmother's own life story…."

Katara felt Zuko stiffening under her when she mentioned 'separated from her family' and she realized she must have made the faux pas of the century. Suddenly, Zuko let go of her and went out of the tub.

"Get out of that tub and dry off. You will accompany me to the meeting." He spoke authoritatively, and Katara knew they were back to the master-to-slave routine again. She sighed.

Katara scrambled off the marble bathtub and proceeded to wring her clothes and hair dry. Knowing that she would just ruin the bedroom rug when she just stomps in her dripping clothes, she stripped to her underwear and wrapped a towel around her naked body. The towel was too short and barely reached to her upper thighs. But it will have to do.

A pair of red trousers and shirt came flying her way when she came out of the bathroom.

"Here," said Zuko, who already had his pants and shirt on. "Put this on. It may be too large for you, but bear with it until your own clothes are dry."

"Thank you, sir." Katara hurriedly put the clothes on and with her hair still drenched with moisture, she helped him put on his armor.

"Go on, dry your hair for a bit. I'll wait."

Katara bowed to express her gratitude and went to the bathroom where she bended the water out of her hair and into the sink. Her hair wasn't completely dry, but after a couple of hurried finger-combing and some pins, she was able to pile her chestnut hair in a messy bun. It wasn't exactly the hairstyle of the week, but it will have to do; her master hated waiting too long.

"I am done, my lord," she said when she reappeared in front of him seconds later.

Zuko nodded and led the way to the bridge.

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"Have you heard about it, Katara?" asked Zuko. The meeting with the captain was over and they were leaning on the railings of the deck, staring up at the moon and the sky dotted with stars.

"I do not know what you mean, sir."

"Surely you have heard even snippets of our conversation. You have some of the sharpest ears I know."

"It is not in my place to eavesdrop on your private discussions, my lord." It was a downright lie. She heard every word during that short tête-à-tête, not matter how much the captain tried to hush his voice in order to keep the message strictly between him and the prince.

Zuko sighed. "You are too much of the perfect servant sometimes. When it's necessary, drop it. We're alone now, and I told you to call me Zuko when we're alone."

"I cannot, my lord. There are guards nearby and they will think it treason for me to call you in such casual terms."

Zuko smirked. "Don't mind them, but then again, you calling me by my name is a rare treat I would rather have you doing when we're really alone and both of us in the height of…." His voice trailed lightly, sensually and Katara blushed when she realized what he meant.

"Anyway," his voice was back to its officious manner; she was right, the guards are too near, "somebody has spotted the avatar. He's supposed to be somewhere in the islands near us. We have to capture him for me to regain my honor."

"And I will be with you every step of the way, my lord."

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Zuko stared at the naked girl beside him, her beautiful chestnut hair tousled around her body and the sheets, giving her privacy under the penetrating gaze of the prince. Her breaths were deep and she would sigh contentedly every few minutes, her chest heaving. Her long eyelashes fluttered to her cheeks that still had some flush in them. Zuko couldn't believe that the blush he caused more than half an hour ago would still retain in those lovely apples of her cheeks. He gave a silent chuckle as he stared at Katara, sleeping happily with a foolish grin on her face. He had gotten his 'rare treat' all right, and it was a treat to have her screaming, yelping, moaning and gasping his name in ecstasy when at the heights of their torrid lovemaking.

With a gentle stroke of the hand, he removed the stray hairs on her face and body, exposing her young beauty to his aroused amber eyes. He let a finger trail on her soft, smooth skin, seeing the smile on her face grow even wider.

"Stop it," she murmured sleepily, though he knew she was still in the realm of dreams. "That tickles, Sokka."

Sokka? He must be a friend of long ago, Zuko mused, but it caused him a pang to know that he was not the one in her dreams, but a stupid boy in her tribe. His face twisted in fury and he savagely took her in his arms, crushing her to him. Thankfully, she didn't wake up and instead, snuggled closer.

"I will stay with you forever, my lord," she muttered again. All the rage he felt at her thinking—dreaming—of another man other than him dissipated. His grip on her was tenderer and he began to caress her hair, loving its slippery feel beneath his fingertips.

For him, she was more than a slave or a concubine to warm his bed. She was his confidant, his lover, his…friend. He had never believed in the power of friendship, of love…those are for the weaklings. But being with her, this intimate, this close, all of his cynicism against the goodness of the world—or at least what's left of it—vanished. She was always there to talk to him, to listen to him, to hold him when he needed to be held, to shed a tear for him when no one else would cry, and to satisfy his needs, not only as a man but as a real, breathing human.

He pulled up the sheets higher around them and let the spirits take him to the same realm where Katara now lay. A world where everything could be heaven or hell, but he took comfort in the thought that no matter what happens, she would be there, sharing both his nightmares and dreams.

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_This is my first attempt at a serious story that has (even a little bit of) sex, dark humor, romance, tragedy, drama, and angst at the same time. My usual stories lack the sex and romance. Both are subjects I'm uncomfortable or unfamiliar with. But I need to grow up sometime and I hope that my writing has matured enough to make this story good enough. The song in this chapter (Once Upon a December) is from Anastasia, an animated movie owned and produced by Twentieth Century Fox. The title of the chapter is from Kitchie Nadal's song, Deliverance. Props to TCF and Kitchie Nadal! To know about Kitchie Nadal if you haven't heard of her, please go to my profile and click the link there. Please, **REVIEW!** _

**Rienne ;p **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Ugh, here we go again. I do not own ATLA. Period. Geniuses do.

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**Thank you very much to my reviewers! This one is for you guys! **

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**Chapter 2: Two Lives Incinerated **

Fire burst from the corner of the ship's poop deck, causing many of the soldiers on the lower deck to look up in alarm. It was not until they heard the battle cries of a young Firebender that they shook their heads and berated themselves silently for the sudden paranoia of their ship being attacked. Besides, who would attack them in the middle of the Agni-forsaken Ocean, with nothing but miles and miles of saline water? And it was a known fact among sailors that to rob a Fire Nation ship would mean lots of blood and innards being strewn around the deck than gold and other riches.

Up at the poop deck, Katara and Zuko were having their routine training session. Zuko sometimes got tired of his sparring partners who had nothing new on them and it didn't take much effort to pin them down with a flaming fist on their faces—their moves were nothing Zuko hadn't seen before and he could intercept their techniques with his own moves worthy of a seventy-year old. He would occasionally, scream at them when they would fall down in a manner of minutes, and the bullying worked to some extent, wherein his sparring partners would come up with new forms; one even went to the extent of almost pulling down Zuko's pants and exposing him for all the world to see.

But Katara was nothing like them. She always surprised him her shrewd ways of fighting and he had a feeling that she was creeping out of bed to train in secret before he could even rise. It didn't matter; she was a damn good fighter and that was all that mattered to him. He felt a bit proud when it was also thanks to his training that Katara was as strong like this.

Katara struck at him with a fist and Zuko evaded it easily. It was a hand-to-hand combat—no bending allowed, although he had a short outburst a few moments ago. Only he and Iroh knew of Katara's bending abilities. If the soldiers knew, news would spread how the exiled prince kept a Waterbender when it was simply taboo. It was not unheard of to have a Water Nation slave, but a Waterbender was over the line. For some reason, many Firebenders were apprehensive towards Waterbenders—maybe it was because that water had always been fire's greatest weakness. But Zuko thanked that he wasn't as prejudiced and was even grateful that she was a bender. Her powers were an indispensable asset, something he knew far too well.

Zuko crouched down to the ground and swept his leg over her feet, trying to trip her, but she jumped out of the way as Zuko shot back to his feet. She threw a barrage of punches but he blocked them with his palms effortlessly.

_And when I said that this was just for some fun today_… thought Zuko, thoroughly amused at his lover and sparring partner.

When Zuko grew tired of the endless blocking, he caught her fists at both hands and raised her arms up and kicked her in the midsection, causing her to fall back a few steps, clutching her stomach and spitting out blood.

"Come on, Katara, why were your punches weak? Getting tired?" he taunted, an evil gleam glistening in his eyes.

Katara wiped the blood off the side of her mouth with the back of her hand and gave a small smile. "No, my lord. In fact, I'm just getting started."

The grin on the Fire Prince's face grew wider as his slave did several back flips until she was behind him and kicking him as hard and as fast as she could before he could even react. It took Zuko by surprise and he staggered a bit before falling on his face.

But before he let her attack again, he got up and gave her his own barrage of punches and kicks. Thanks to her small and slender form, she was able to dodge many of the attacks easily, though got hit four or five times.

"Why don't we end this?" asked Zuko, breathing hard as Katara delivered a mighty blow to his chest.

Katara smiled again. "As you wish."

She ran up to him, and before he could run to the side to duck from her attack, she was bending on one knee in front of him, a sharp blade pointed at his throat.

"I win, my lord."

Zuko laughed as he grasped her wrist and lowered her arm. "You are one sneaky little cretin. Where did you get the blade?"

"It was you who taught me, my lord, that I should be prepared to use every tactic necessary in a fight. You only said no bending, but you did not specify whether we could use weapons or not," answered Katara calmly, sheathing her dagger. "I had this one hidden in my sleeve."

"Ingenious, my pet," Zuko purred and turned around, heading for the towels and water flasks at the far corner of the deck. Katara followed him, now grinning. It was a long time since he had called her 'my pet' and it was around the time she had taken down a whole army of Earthbenders with a huge wave. Endearments from her master were scarce and only reserved for special occasions and when they were alone, although they both knew that the whole ship knew that their master-to-slave relationship extended to the bed. But the girl appreciated the crew being quiet about it and keeping their opinions to themselves. Otherwise, if rumors fly, the Prince would know about it and many soldiers will be walking the plank or dropped like a stone on the wide ocean unceremoniously.

"Your punches were a bit weaker than before, and some of your footing's off," remarked her master when she had sat down beside him. He was already starting on the water and drinking greedily.

"Yes, I understand, my lord. My ankle hasn't healed fully well after the last battle with the Earth Kingdom troop." Katara took her master's towel and was beginning to wipe his face.

"Yeah, is your ankle okay?" came the muffled voice of Zuko behind the towel.

"A few more days, your grace, and I should be okay; I feel honored that you consider about me."

"Shut up, and you are the one who always worries about me. I can't forget the time in Langdiu where you thought I was drowning when I just got my foot tangled in some weeds." Zuko smirked and Katara blushed. "You almost blew our secret. Nobody but I and Uncle should know about your bending abilities."

Zuko and Iroh knew better, and instead of condemning Katara when they learned of her powers, trained her to her maximum capacity and ending up with a master of Waterbending. She proved to be a formidable foe, one that was not taken lightly by Zuko's enemies. Soldiers who found out about her were taken care of immediately; Zuko didn't trust even his own soldiers not to blab about him taking a Waterbender to some Fire Nation official and get Katara taken from him. She was too important and too useful to just dispose easily.

"Your safety is always my first priority, my lord."

"Come on, I need a nice, long bath, and you will accompany me." They began walking out of the deck and below the ship's hull to his room.

"Will you use the shower or the tub?"

"The tub. No perfumes or other scented oils this time. They make me feel light-headed and I smell like some pampered girl."

"But I think you smell fine, my lord."

"Keep quiet and I want to smell manly, not girly. In fact, dispose of those perfumes, or use them for your own purposes. I don't care. Just don't make me use them anymore."

"As you wish, my lord." They had arrived at his bathroom and Katara had prepared the bath. As she picked up the sponge to bathe him, he stopped her.

"Jump in here with me. You scrub my back and I'll scrub yours."

"No, sir that would be too inappropriate; I should be the one serving you." The slave girl knew that her master was in one of his playful and cheery moods—which usually don't last for more than a few minutes.

"Come on, or I'm getting out of this tub and start to undress you and drop you in here with me."

Katara sighed. Her lord was just plain stubborn and what he wants, he gets. She stood up and turned away from him as she undid the knot of her tunic.

"Come on, I've seen everything you've got and more. Why being so demure and shy now?"

Katara rolled her eyes briefly and spun around. Since he was in a playful mood, she decided to play along as well. She made her movements slow and seductive, stripping smoothly and hid a smirk when his eyes widened.

"Come here," he said hoarsely as he pulled her in and locked her in his arms. "Little vixen. You enjoy torturing me, don't you?"

"I, Your Highness? I merely thought I was pleasuring you. Torturing you is simply unheard of."

"Keep quiet," he demanded and kissed her forcefully, completely aroused by her little show. When they parted, he gave a low growl. "As much as I want to stay with you all afternoon and test the springs of my new bed, I'm afraid I have to wait for tonight. We're docking on the next island and I have to talk with the steering commander." He stood up and pulled her to her feet as well. "Help me put on my armor."

Katara nodded and after drying themselves, went back to his bedroom and she went about, getting his armor strapped to him securely. When she was finished, Zuko cupped her chin and brushed his lips against hers.

"Go back and finish bathing. When I come back I want you to smell like cherry blossoms, understood?" he whispered thickly against her ear.

Katara smiled. "Your wish is my command, Your Grace."

Zuko nibbled on her neck and went out, closing the door behind him. When he was gone, Katara shook her head.

_What did I do and I got such an oversexed yet sex-starved master?_ She asked herself, knowing the full answer anyway.

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"Katara! Katara!" Zuko's shouts of her name rang throughout the halls but no answer came from her. He went to the kitchens, the laundry room, even in the soldier's quarters but couldn't find her.

"Katara!" He was starting to lose his patience. And then a thought struck him: where had he ordered Katara to stay until he comes back? Cursing his own stupidity, he turned on his heel and ran to his room, finding Katara kneeling on the floor and picking up his dirty clothes.

"Katara!" he said, taking her by surprise.

"Yes, my lord?" She got up only to be swept up in his arms and be twirled around.

"Why are you so happy, my lord?" she asked, dazed by the twirling, when he had put her down.

"The Avatar is on the island a few miles from us. This is the chance I've been waiting for. Get me my swords and my strongest armor. Hurry!"

Katara took off and did everything her master ordered. When she had finished strapping on the last of his arm guards, he took her chin and brushed his lips against hers.

"I have a feeling that this will be the day that my life changes. Wish me luck, Katara."

"May the great god Agni watch over you on your conquest," Katara replied.

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Katara bustled around the ship all day, cleaning up Zuko's room and washing his dirty laundry. When she was finished with the task, she headed for the kitchens to prepare her master a nice meal.

For some reason, whenever Prince Zuko was out to get the Avatar, he would always leave Katara behind. He always took Iroh and some of his soldiers, but she was always told to stay in the ship. A few weeks ago in Menthat, she came along with Zuko and Iroh as the old man went around buying anything that caught his fancy. However, they spotted the Avatar in the marketplace and a chase ensued. Katara saw a glimpse of a boy in orange clothing and another boy, probably a little older than the Avatar was, though dressed in a blue tunic. Her heart skipped a beat when she recognized that what the older boy wore were Water Nation clothing.

For a second, Katara thought that she saw fear register in her master's eyes when he caught her staring at the blue-clothed boy but she might have imagined it for his face was scrunched up in fury and concentration. He snapped at her to stay back while he and his soldiers ran after the Avatar and his companion.

_Who was that Water Nation boy?_ Asked Katara idly as she took a moment to rest on the deck, letting the wind play gently with her braid. _Somehow, he seemed really familiar…. He must be from the North Pole; I don't even know if there are still people living in my home on the South Pole…. _

After she was captured and sold as a slave to the Fire Nation Prince, she had never seen her home again. Zuko had always avoided setting a course for the South Pole, saying that he doesn't like the cold.

Katara sighed deeply as she heard the head cook bellowing below on the kitchens for her. All of the men on the ship regard her as an ordinary slave to their Prince, though it was obvious that he favored her before anyone else, except his Uncle Iroh. They never said an unkind word to her, since if Zuko knew that his own men mistreated her, someone would start walking the plank. However, she was still not free from gossip and many still talked about her behind her back. Some were even wondering how long she will last; Zuko had a habit of favoring things for a while and when he got bored, he just disposed of them.

But Zuko gave her his assurance that that will not happen. She was far too valuable to him, and she believed that with all her heart.

Besides, would you ever doubt the man you have fallen so deeply in love with?

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Zuko stormed inside his bedroom, flame erupting from his nostrils with his every breath, his face screwed up in pure fierceness that Katara shrank away from him. She was cleaning his bathroom and came out when she heard the door slam open.

The furious Fire Prince slammed a table with a flaming fist and the table gave way and broke into little scraps of wood upon contact. He was as angry as hell, and everyone knew that his temper, once tested, had the wrath of any tempest in the sea.

The Avatar had escaped him again! He was near in capturing the only thing that stood between him and his honor, but the little bastard slipped from his fingers at the last minute and made a run towards his flying bison and took off with the Water peasant.

Katara didn't trust herself in speaking and made her way silently back to the bathroom to resume her scrubbing when Zuko snapped his head in her direction and she saw rage lining every inch of that pale, scarred face. The light that bounced from the many candles in the room, cast him in an eerie glow, making his mutilated face look even darker and scarier. Katara thought that she saw Eksos, the Devil.

Katara stood rooted to the spot as her master came up to her and in a flash, had one hand on her neck and was choking her. He had lifted her a good two inches off the ground and he was glaring at her with murdering eyes. She struggled against his grip, clawing away at his hand, but it was of no use; his grip was too strong.

"You…. YOU!" he screamed and threw her to the wall where she slammed painfully against the metal and crumpled upon the floor, her neck bruised and her spine almost broken.

"M-Master…what…what's wrong?" she stammered as she tried to get up. But as soon as she regained her footing, Zuko was gripping her neck again.

"Don't you ever talk back to me, slave!" he roared and the torches and candles around the room also flared.

But Katara wasn't listening. She was more focused on getting air back on her lungs; Zuko was choking her too hard and if this keeps up in a few more seconds, she knew that she would be in the Realm of the Dead. The Fire Prince raised a flaming fist at her and Katara scrunched her eyes tight, waiting for the torturous flames to come in contact with her skin. But none came and she felt her neck being freed.

When she had dared to open her eyes, Zuko was standing a few feet away from her and he still looked deadly.

"Go away," he hissed angrily, his golden eyes boring into her. Katara breathed hard but did not move. Only when Zuko threw a fireball at her did she scramble up and run away, hearing him thunder after her, "GET OUT!"

Katara ran as fast as her legs would carry her to her own quarters at the far end of the hallway. All the time she had willed herself not to cry but when she was in the safety of her room, the tears finally pushed themselves our of her eyeballs and she let them, the tears flowing silently to her cheeks, her sorrow and pain raining on her lap.

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Following her master—no Zuko's orders, Katara collected her sparse belongings and stuffed them inside a small bag. When the darkness and quiet had settled on the ship, Katara made her way to the deck silently and spotted a small boat hanging nearby. She climbed on it and lowered herself down to the waters. Using her Waterbending, she was able to get away from the ship's shadow in a manner of seconds. But as the Fire Navy ship finally disappeared from her sight as a small black dot encompassed by the light of the moon, she felt her heart wrenching and the tears came back.

For the second time, she had lost her home, but it was more painful this time, because she had also lost the only man she swore she'd serve…and love.

_Good bye, Zuko…I love you.

* * *

_

_How's that? Okay, it wasn't my best, but when I wrote this chapter for the first time, it came out as a comedy! Even I was laughing when I read it over for editing. Sorry this was short; I ran out of ideas. **REVIEW**, please! I just love all of your reviews, and your inputs on my writing have greatly helped me. I'm planning this one to only have…twenty chapters at most. But the next chapters are going to be long. Chapter title is from Kitchie Nadal's song, Drained. _

**Rienne ;p**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I am in **no** way affiliated with anything that has to do with Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Aang. I also don't own the song, _Breathe _by **Kitchie Nadal** whose lyrics I have used for the title and this chapter's song.

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay. I took a long break, and sadly, I have lost all will and passion for continuing **ANY** of my fics, and have already abandoned _I Know_. The revised one will be coming up, as soon as I get my ass into it, but it's not going to be sometime soon. I've also been busy with writing up lesson plans, lecturing, and civic duty stuff. Oh, and this is the last disclaimer and author's note I'm placing here. If you want A/N's, check out my bio. And the chapters will be shorter, because, like I've said, I've lost all passion. I don't even know if I should continue this story. Leave me a review and tell me if I should. This chapter sucks and you will have to pardon me for that as this was done in haste.

**Update:June 8– edited it a bit and added some things.**

**

* * *

Chapter 3: Breathe**

I could feel it. A coldness that washed over me, a creeping feeling that an end is near, what of, I knew naught. A shiver ran through my aching young body that was covered in bruises and wounds—injuries that would heal physically but never emotionally or mentally. It was horrifying to think that a fragile structure of nine years such as mine would undergo tortures that would leave elders of twenty years over broken in mind and spirit. And there I was, seemingly broken (as my captors saw joy in my screams and tears), yet my eyes shone in my defiance and my mind was as sharp as ever.

The only reason for my sane state was a voice. Yes, a chilling yet gentle voice, whose tones swept over the waves, pacifying my hopeless soul and numb heart. It was familiar; a melody that defied all boundaries in an effort to come to me. Deep in my heart, I knew the voice. It was the one that rocked me to sleep, the one which took away all of my fears.

I suppressed a cynical snort when I realized that the last time I heard the voice come out of the lips of its owner was the time when utter destruction was at hand and the voice came not as a melody but as a piercing shriek.

Footsteps that resounded through the hollow halls and the pounding in my ears came, loudly, threateningly—deathly. They were near. White-masked villains who saw joy in the demise of thousands…whose element of choice was one of subjugation, of annihilation. It was a shame that a thing so pretty could be so destructive. But alas, nothing is perfect in this world.

I sucked a deep breath as a ray of light came close to my cell. My hands were clammy and sweat already matted my forlorn clothing. I licked my cracked lips involuntarily and tasted once more the salty tang of dried blood. Hurriedly, I summoned my tears and made them flow steadily causing tracks to form on my dirtied cheeks. I learned in the most painful way possible that my captors show absolute ecstasy at tears; sadistic bastards, as they are, they show their displeasure at seeing someone alive, more in spirit than in body. After all, what's the use of a corpse? Theirs, as I have heard, a culture that believed in fate worst than death, and in my present condition, I was more inclined to believe that, never mind that I detested everything they stood for in the first place.

After a lot of scrapings, footfalls, and metal hitting metal, I heard the proverbial click of a lock being opened and the metal door swung open noisily, the ominous quality of the noise scaring me to the marrow—the effect I knew almost immediately that they were after—and a red-armored advocate of Death whose white mask glowed ethereally with the torch that his right hand held, came in.

The man—I still fidget if I should call them that, no human could be capable of the monstrosity they have displayed—screamed at me to get to my feet and I struggled in my corner. Every joint cracked as I slowly made my legs stand firmly on the ground and I could feel his smile at my desolate exertions. I bit my cheek to stop a smirk as I made a complete show of my supposed weakness. However, the devil grew impatient for he strode into my dingy cell and hoisted me up to my feet painfully, barking in my ear a dozen oaths.

My tremors were real as he dragged me out, every fiber of my being protesting yet my mind—the part that was still uncorrupted by pain, suffering, and misery—was rational enough to stop me.

Once I was out, he let go of me and proceeded to scream at me to follow him, and I did—barely, as my legs were still sore. Several moons have already passed since the last time I was allowed to walk, and therefore, my legs still needed to grow accustomed to being used and support my weight. The villain in red armor's prejudice would not stand for touching one as lowly as I, which was why he let go of me fairly quickly.

And follow him I did whilst ignoring the blatant stares of my fellow captives, whose faces were pressed against cold metal bars or hidden in the shadows, that showed fear, impassivity, hopelessness, and strangely enough, fear. There was no time for pity, especially for others. Prisoners only have enough time to pity themselves and curse the evil spawn that led them to their fall.

I was lost, thinking in whatever gods' names could they envy me for, but before I could dwell on the matter, I was taken out to the deck of the ship and hard, heavy shackles were strapped to my wrists and ankles. They were cold and clanged loudly and painfully against my protruding bones (I have lost almost half of original weight since my capture and the only food we were given was gruel and muddy water) but I pushed it at the back of my mind as I stared down at the port.

Long lines of captives were being made to walk barefooted to carriages that will take them to their final destination to work as slaves in the nobles' homes or shops. Another line of pretty girls was taken in a different carriage and they probably would be forced to work in brothels. I saw that most of the prisoners were either from the Earth Kingdom or Water Nation. The Air Nomads were long gone, taking the last Avatar with them.

The Avatar, master of all four elements and probably the only person that could stop this war was dead and the cycle was broken. People have lost all hope for his return and lived their lives in constant fear, fear of what will happen next as they awaited their doom silently, listening to the distant cries of those who have perished in this pointless war.

All wars are pointless. Whatever war there is, there is only death, pain, and suffering. After all, greedy bastards who saw profit in the demise of others made wars. Wars aren't about defending one's ideology. It was about gaining money, lands, riches, women, and castles…every luxury in this world. The pathetic and clueless ones who fight because they believe what they're fighting for is right are mere pawns by avaricious devils that saw death as another means of getting money.

A jerking pull at my shackles ended my cynical brooding and I was brought down the deck and into an empty carriage. I was pushed roughly in and I fell on my face, my nostrils filling with a putrid scent. But I didn't care. All thought left me as I fell asleep, a hundred moons' worth of exhaustion and fear finally coming up to me.

---

"You know that you're not supposed to pick flowers from the royal gardens, slave." A voice caught me off guard and turned around, hiding the blooms behind my back as I guiltily glanced at my 'captor'.

He was about my age, with flowing black hair tied to a knot at the back of his head and the most piercing yet warmest golden eyes I have ever seen. He was wearing expensive silk robes of scarlet and gold. I immediately recognized the red dragon embroidered on his chest and I fell to my knees and spoke to the ground.

"I…I was…I was…. Forgive me, my lord, of this treason! You have every right to punish me! I am nothing but a disobedient slave!" Though my words were delivered bravely, I could not suppress the shiver that ran through me. Insubordination was a heavy offense at the Fire Palace and the punishment was a beating that robbed you within an inch from your life—a punishment that I had received just recently for not taking my lady's tea to her sooner.

"Zuko! Lord Zuko! Where are you?" someone called from afar and I heard the boy in front of me curse colorfully.

"Slave!" he commanded and I looked up. "Get up now!"

I obeyed, the flowers still clutched in my hand. He grasped my other hand.

"Follow me!"

We ran through the intricate maze of hedges and trees, our feet pounding against the soft earth and dewy grass. The voices calling faded and finally, the boy stopped and I did as well. We fell to our knees in front of a huge oak tree, panting and regaining our breath.

"Have we lost them?" he asked of me.

"Yes, I believe so, my lord," I answered politely as I gasped some air. I strained my ears to hear if anyone was close by but I heard nothing except for the rustling of the leaves and the sighs of the wind.

"You're a very good runner," he remarked after a while when we just lay on the grass, enjoying the warm sunshine and crisp air.

I blushed. "I am grateful for that, my lord."

"Tell me, do you like fire lilies?"

"I think they are beautiful, my lord."

"Well, I don't. I think they're ugly and they smell ugly, too!"

I was surprised at this declaration. Fire lilies were some of the most beautiful and sweet-smelling blooms in the world—not to mention rarest. The Fire Gardens had an extensive garden made just for the lilies and it was a sight to see the wonderful red and gold petals contrasting against the red and gold sky at dusk or at dawn. I tried not to show my confusion but he ignored me as he continued to rant.

"I hate them because they're the only things Mom cares about! When I have time to play after my lessons, she's always at the gardens and couldn't come and play because she was tending to them! She spends much more time with them than she does with me, and when I get older and have full control of my bending, I swear I'll burn down the fire lily garden! Then she would have time for me, and me alone!"

"A mother's love for her son should be worth more than a million fire lilies," I mumbled, not thinking. I realized my faux pas later on as he stared at me with his amber eyes thoughtfully.

"I—I'm sorry for not speaking in turn, my lord. I-I was j-just—"

"You're right," he said, cutting off my stammering. "Hey, do you have a mom?"

"No," I answered, the word causing a slash at my heart. "I lost her on the day I was captured." I didn't care that I sounded brash and that every word I spoke was dripping with the hate I felt for all of his people—including him. I was beyond caring and at that moment, I wanted to die, so very badly. I didn't care how; I just wanted to.

If he caught the underlying message of that statement, he didn't show it, nor did he apologize for what his people did. Instead, he just looked at me, as if trying to unlock something hidden between the depths of my cerulean eyes.

"What's your name?" he asked suddenly, but he did it imperiously so I couldn't not answer.

"Katara. My name is Katara."

---

"Prince Zuko! She is just a slave! What is she to you?" The head eunuch, Ji, asked the Fire Crown Prince.

"She is a loyal servant and the one who has helped me immensely in my studies, my training…everything," replied the prince in his smooth, aristocratic voice that was a year short of reaching puberty.

I stayed silent in my corner. It has already been a year since I have made a slave to the Fire Palace and ten full moons since I met the prince that fateful day when I was picking fire lilies for my lady, a concubine of the Fire Lord. The prince and I remained close acquaintances (I would not be so bold as calling us 'friends' after all, I still hate the Fire people with a passion and to call their prince my friend was a betrayal to everything I stood for). He taught me how to read and write in their language though it was forbidden for slaves to learn. He also taught me a few martial arts, saying that if need be, I could become his bodyguard. He was the one who brought me to the infirmaries when a beating got way too much and I could die from my wounds.

And that is why we were all there, in the spare dungeon they used to beat recalcitrant slaves such as I to death. I had screamed like never before and it just so happened that the prince was strolling somewhere near the dungeons and heard my cries. He halted the whippings and faced the head eunuch, who was overseeing my battering, angrily. He ordered the soldier with the whip to take me down from where I was shackled to the ceiling and I lay crumpled to the floor, barely alive. My wounds stung and I was exhausted beyond comparison but nevertheless, I stayed awake, awaiting my fate that was at the hands of the prince.

"But, sir—" the head eunuch pleaded.

"From now on, she will be my personal slave and she will replace the eunuch assigned to me. She will sleep in my suite so that she may attend to all of my needs at any time. She will follow me wherever I go and she will lay her life for me."

"But she is already assigned to your father's…."

"Then relieve her of that post and get another slave for my father's bitch. Surely that that ogre called a concubine would not fret about losing a slave for I have known that she likes to beat her slaves and chain them outside in the heat. A new blood would definitely assuage her. And as far as I know, you, Ji, reinforce her rules, and though we are at war and the slaves are definitely our spoils, they are still humans and this one is just a little girl. Leave this kind of treatment for men who truly deserve it, such as yourself and that bitch. Now, take this girl to the infirmaries and I want to see her in my room in no less than three days and well rested and healed. Disobey me and you will see yourself in the arms of the underworld in the most painful way possible." He spoke unlike his twelve years but as a man of thirty, his voice adopting that rich timbre and haunting tones that he used to scare underlings with his authority.

The head eunuch reddened at his words and mumbled something like, "Your father will hear about this…."

"Yes, I'm very sure he would," said the prince thoughtfully, removing an invisible lint from his red silk robes. "But he will just say that it will be better for me to have a slave that was near my age and not like the aged woman that smelled of cabbages that you have very kindly assigned to me. I know that you have planned for that with the ugly bitch that had been made one of my father's concubines through a series of blackmails and other unmentionable things. She couldn't accept that my mother bore me and made the head wife while her child died in a miscarriage. Such an unfortunate event that." He didn't show anything akin to sympathy at the last sentence but stared at the head eunuch colder than ever. "Oh, and don't you know that I also know of your affair with her. Such a pity though that eunuchs get castrated so please tell me how you manage to please her. I am truly interested." He adopted a tone of malice and fake fascination. I had to smile at that regardless of my state. "Nothing that happens within these palace walls escapes my ears."

The head eunuch mumbled something again but I didn't catch it. The prince apparently did for he said: "Threats don't work with me. I am the crown prince, the next ruler of this land. And the Fire Lord much more soon than you think. Though it is only in title, I will control this palace and everything in it and my father will continue to rule outside. And when he dies, it's all mine. Although nothing's stopping me from killing you right now." A fireball appeared at his palm and the head eunuch whimpered. "You know, my father would be very pleased at this. At least, he'll know that I did my best to get what I want. And don't worry, he'll definitely know of this for I'll tell him myself after this affair is done. Now," he turned to the soldier who was previously whipping me, "take her."

The soldier dropped the whip and carried me in his arms.

"Katara," the prince said gently and I cracked open an eye. A small smile graced his lips and I could not help but return the smile. "I knew you were listening, so I want you to have a nice rest for two or three days and after that, you'll officially be mine. I want you to keep your strength up so you could service me better, okay?" I nodded slightly, painfully. "Good. Now go to sleep." I obeyed and had woken up a day later surrounded by the white linen sheets of the infirmaries.

---

"Is that where you will be sleeping?" asked Prince Zuko as he stared at my makeshift bed which was a piece of cloth and a small pillow on the carpeted floor of his massive suite. I just got out of the infirmaries this morning and was immediately taken to his suite. I prepared his bath and nightclothes and when he came after his training, I gave him his bath for the first time.

"Yes, my lord, the carpet is thick so my injuries won't be disturbed and I'm quite used to sleeping on the floor, really," I said.

He furrowed his brows. "But your injuries aren't even healed properly. And the carpeting is not that thick to even provide a comfortable mattress. Tell you what, why don't you sleep in my bed for tonight? It's big so you won't disturb me," he added as he saw me open my mouth to protest.

I stared at the huge bed with the silk sheets. It's been so long since I've slept on a real bed and my injuries were hell. But simple propriety stopped me and I shook my head at him.

"No, my lord, it simply cannot be done."

The prince shook his head and in a flash had me in his arms. He dumped me on one side of the bed as he climbed to the other. I was reveling in the luxury the soft mattress and the silk sheets afforded me but I started and got up quickly.

"I cannot do this, my lord," I said, shaking my head again. "They will have my head when they know of this, and what of your father and mother?"

The prince stretched lazily and yawned. "My door is always locked and they know better than to burst in on me. And if you don't stop refusing this offer, I will have you taken back to that bitch and she can have your head on a silver platter. So stop whining and lie back. Besides, since you wake up earlier than I do, you can wake me up and not those blasted trumpets they use. They give me a headache."

Against myself, I lay back and covered myself with the scarlet sheets to my chin.

"And one more thing, Katara," he said, though his speech was slurred with sleepiness. "Call me Zuko, okay, and no more of that 'my lord' or 'my prince' business."

"As you wish…Zuko." The name sounded foreign to my lips but they rolled off my tongue easily, as if I spoke them everyday.

I did not see the smile that formed on his lips.

**-The world stood still**

**When I first met you**

**You caught my heart**

**Things were never the same**

**My senses numb**

**The word still reverbs**

**Repeatedly in my ear**

**I want to see you again-**

"_You're a great runner…may be we could do this again?"_

"_Of course, my lord. I will come as soon as I am relieved of my duties."_

"_Good. I'll wait for you."_

-**It's hard to breathe**

**Ever since then**

**The cold night sweeps**

**Warm tears again**

**Something that you said**

**I've always cherished within**

**You took my hand**

**Things were never the same-**

"_Why do you have such little hands? Mine's a bit bigger than yours."_

"_Maybe it's because you're a boy. Boys are supposed to have big hands."_

"_Why are you looking so flushed? It's not that hot."_

"_Er…I must be coming down with something. I would like to have my hand back, my lord."_

"_Nope. I like the coolness of your hands. It must be a Water Nation trait, to have such cold hands." _

**Lying beside you now**

**All alone in the room**

**Always been so happy**

**Since you mended my wounds**

**It's hard to breathe**

**Ever since then**

**The cold night sweeps**

**Warm tears again**

"_I love you…."_

"_Mmmmhhh…. Wake me up later, you stupid eunuchs!"_

"_My lord, it is already time for your training."_

"_What? Son of a fireball's redheaded stepchild!"

* * *

_

I woke up. The first light of the sun's rays filtered through the broken window of the cheap inn I had found in the island. The past that I have treasured for so long came back to me and I smiled; the memories were as fresh as ever in my mind, and in my heartbreak, I recalled every single detail vividly.

I recalled how I decided that I love him that night and how good it felt to have his arms around me when I woke up. It was the greatest betrayal and hypocrisy I have done when I said 'I love you' to him during the first break of dawn…much like the one right now.

Last night, my world crumbled. My heart would never heal after that, but I knew that I could still pick up the pieces and try to make them whole again, yet I also knew that it could never be whole, for one piece was missing. And only the love for my master, my Prince Zuko could fill that.

I stood up and gathered my things. I will capture the Avatar and take him to my master. My mind was made up and no little boy would keep me from the only thing that held my life together and made me whole.

Wait for me, my Prince Zuko.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Lost and Found 

"What do you mean that she's gone! Where is Katara, Uncle?" stormed Zuko at Iroh very early in the morning. He had been sorely disappointed to see in the morning that his clothes weren't laid, his bath wasn't ready, and most of all, his most loyal servant wasn't at his side, waking him up for another day of training or capturing the Avatar.

"If I recall correctly," responded Iroh as he took a sip of his jasmine tea with an air of cool indifference to his nephew's rage, "you as they say, kicked her out of this ship. I vaguely recall you raging in your room, some wood breaking, which I presume was your antique table, and Katara running out of your room in almost tears. Oh, the deckhand also reported one boat missing. I presume that that is what she used to get away."

Zuko stared at his relative with wide, unbelieving eyes. He couldn't stomach that he, in his blinding anger, had stupidly let go of the only person that had cared enough for him, well except for the old man in front of him.

"She…she can't…."

"Yes, she did," conceded Iroh, knowing full well the inner turmoil the Fire Prince was feeling the very moment. He had also taken up a soft spot for the young, smart, and strong girl, but he knew better than to butt in the business of his nephew, so he let the girl go, telling himself that Zuko would snap to his senses soon and get the girl back. "I hate to say this, nephew, but it's your fault."

Zuko just glared at the retired general as he stomped his way out of the bridge. Iroh could only shake his head at the retreating back of the obviously incensed young man.

_Sometimes, we have to let go of something for us to know its worth._

---

The doors of Katara's old room slammed open as Zuko walked huffily inside. After kicking the door closed to allow him some privacy, he collapsed on her tiny cot and hugged her pillow to his chest, trying and failing to even breathe in her scent. Abandoning the cot, he rummaged through her little chest of drawers, the only other furniture in the room except for the cot and the chair. He found nothing. All the sheets were changed and the room contained no trace that a person had lived there for more than two years.

It's as if Katara wanted nothing more to do with him and his life. She had successfully wiped all remnants of her life in the ship.

Sighing, Zuko laid back on the cot.

I'll find you, Katara. And when you're back with me, I'll never let you go again. You have my word.

---

Katara stomped through the marsh, her cloth shoes getting effectively ruined with mud, grime, and different bits and pieces of plants. But her mind was far away from the sorry state of her shoes.

She had heard from one of the fishmongers that he had spotted a large flying thing land somewhere on the forest around daybreak. He said that it was large and upon closer inspection, he also said that it seemed that there were at least two people riding on the back of it. Most of the people listening to him thought he was mad but Katara knew that he was on to something. After a lot of bribery, coercion and creative threats, she had successfully weeded out the information she needed. With every word of the fishmonger's tale, the stronger her belief that the Avatar was in the island became.

She hastily thanked the man with a few more bronze coins as she ran up the market to the forest, her mind set on her mission.

Katara grimaced as she walked her way through another mud puddle. It was the rainy season in the area and she was in a forest, which equals to a whole hell of mud. After briefly pausing to scrape some of the gunk using a stone, Katara scanned the area. There were huge trees surrounding her, a lot of birds judging from the noisy atmosphere, and…_smoke_.

Forcing back the urge to jump up in joy, she followed the trail of smoke. It led her to a small clearing by a lake. She readied her dagger and silently moved around the thick bushes to the voices.

"For Pete's sake, Sokka," a boy with blue arrow tattoos on his bald head and hands was saying to another boy impatiently, "we can't go now, not at this time. The Fire ships must be still nearby and they could catch sight of us!"

"But if we don't leave now, we may miss the festival!" another voice, the source of which Katara couldn't see because of the huge animal with them.

"You're always thinking about food! Can you just stop for a while and think about saving our hides first?" the Avatar countered.

Seeing this as a chance to take on the Avatar, Katara jumped up from her hiding place, screaming, "Your life is mine, Avatar!"

Quick as a flash, the boy managed to sweep away the Waterbender with a swish of his arms, sending a forceful gust of air to her body. She slammed into a tree nearby and dropped her dagger.

"Who are you?" asked the Avatar curiously, as if speaking to a new acquaintance and not a potential assassin.

"The one sent to take you to my master!" Katara yelled as she charged forward, throwing her bag away to a corner and summoning a great tide of water from the stream.

"You're a Waterbender," observed the companion of the Avatar. Katara glanced at the boy's way while maintaining a water ball trained on the Master of All Elements. "But you're obviously working for the Fire Nation, so how could you…?"

There was question in his blue eyes…blue eyes that were hauntingly familiar.

Not being fazed by seeing another member of the Water tribes, Katara cocked an eyebrow at him. "I am no longer a Water National," she said proudly, mockingly. "I am a servant of Fire Prince Zuko. Yes, I am a Water bender, but my loyalty lies with the Fire Nation and no longer on the Water Nation."

"Fucking traitor!" the blue-eyed boy yelled.

"Sokka!" the Avatar reprimanded, sending the other boy a warning look for his language.

Almost instantly, the water ball in Katara's hands dropped.

"_Sokka?"_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Look, if I owned it, I wouldn't be here writing fanfiction, now would I?

Sorry for the half-a-year delay. Real life, university, and other things got in way. No other excuses.

Please **_REVIEW_** and tell me if this story is still worth continuing.

**Chapter Five: We Meet**

"And that's the long and short of it, really." Katara finished her tale somberly, her cerulean eyes darkening as she gazed into the pitiful fire they had managed to make a few hours ago. She had just finished explaining everything to Sokka and his companion, the Avatar, of what happened to her ever since she was captured by the Fire Nation.

Sokka still hadn't got over the initial shock of seeing his sister who was thought of dead, alive, well, and most important of all, a (loyal) servant to the banished Fire Prince. He just stared at her, disbelief and something else in his eyes.

To stop himself from hurting his head, he thought back to a few moments ago, when he first saw her, brandishing a water whip at him and the Avatar, Aang, and clamoring for their lives to be taken to her master. When she had recognized Sokka, she immediately dropped her defenses and went to him, only to be stopped by his boomerang coming in close contact with her neck. She had seen their wary state and immediately dropped anything that could be considered as a weapon, flinging her bag and canteen behind a bush and sitting down on the hard earth on her knees.

What she did next astounded them all. She bowed at their feet, begging them to listen to her. At first, Sokka snapped and told her that they would not listen to Fire scum and said to Aang that this was just a trick to catch them off guard. He had insisted on beating her and tying her to tree had not Aang reasoned that it should be wiser to listen to her first. A few arguments later, the Avatar's wisdom and judgment finally overpowering Sokka's, they sat down in front of her but not without fingering their weapons pointedly at her.

It took some time for Katara to persuade Sokka that she was his sister, and she thought that he could come into terms with that fact, but she still knew that he knew her before as the girl who was constant companion with the Fire Prince, though he had not recognized her during their brief and sporadic meetings.

"Tell me this, why did you agree to become his slave then, knowing that being with him would betray your own people?" Sokka spoke harshly, his words cutting through her like a sharp knife.

"Sokka…" Aang warned.

Anguish flitted in Katara's eyes and she took a moment to control herself lest she break down.

"I was a slave there," she began tremulously. "That much I have told you. My first mistress one of the Fire Lord's many concubines and she was horrible. She treated me like a dog, actually, worse than a dog." A grim smile came to her lips but then she frowned again. "She would beat me up at night and left me to sleep, nursing my wounds outside in her terrace; she said that she would not let vermin like I to soil the expensive carpeting of her rooms. One day, I was out in the gardens when Zu—the Fire Prince saw me and we became sort of acquaintances. After a while, he took pity on me and took me on as his slave, freeing me from that wretched woman. He treated me differently but we never forgot our places and I served him like I would serve any master."

She dared not tell him of her affair with the Fire Prince for it would soil her more in his eyes.

Sokka's grip on his boomerang tightened. The knowledge that his sister had suffered so much yet he could not do anything about it caused him an immeasurable pain inside his chest. Though he still had doubts as to the identity of the young woman in front of him, there was an instinct telling him that she was telling the truth.

"What is your proof that you are my sister?" Sokka fired, wanting the last shred of evidence to her identity.

Katara tore off the scarf on her neck and pointed at the beautiful blue stone on her neck.

"I surmise you remember this?" she asked, tears glistening madly in her eyes. "This was Mother's. She gave this to me before she died."

Sokka stood up, and without hesitation, gathered the girl in his arms.

"Katara, Katara," he cried in the most masculine manner he could muster, still conscious that there was an audience watching them.

"I'm back, brother." Katara didn't bother to hide her feelings and cried freely, all her emotions bubbling up at the surface. Her previous anger and sadness she had felt when she had left behind the man she swore to serve forever seemed to dissipate in her brother's embrace.

Finally, Sokka let go of Katara and helped her to her feet.

"Well, I'm sorry you had to witness that, Aang," he said, glancing at the Avatar who looked at them with a serene happiness. "I'd like you to meet my sister, Katara. Katara this is Aang, the Avatar."

Katara bowed and Aang did as well.

"I'm afraid that I haven't seen you up close as of yet. The Fire Prince would not let me near you, whenever we would spot you. I guess he saw that Sokka here was of Water Tribe and possibly tied to me," she explained and she felt Sokka's grip on her hand tighten. "I guess that I won't be betraying his trust anymore in saying that he was possibly afraid that I would leave him for you."

"Why would he be afraid?" asked Aang curiously.

"I guess you could say that I was his most trusted servant. Nobody got as close to him as I." Sokka did not get the implication but Aang did and his brow furrowed inquiringly. Katara ignored his questioning gaze.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't he be looking for you?" Sokka said.

"No," Katara shook her head defiantly. "In fact, he was the one who kicked me out of his ship."

"That's good," Sokka murmured distractedly. "Now, we must go and find another island to settle for the night. I still see the Fire ship on the horizon. It would not bode well for us to be staying here while they're so near. Come on, Katara!"

"Have you ever been on a flying bison before?" Aang said chirpily.

"No, I haven't heard of such animal."

"Well, you're just gonna love Appa. Trust me on this one. He's a magnificent creature!"

"I think I'll just take your word on that."

"You know what, Katara? I think we could be good friends."

The smile she gave him was full of joy at having found a friend after so much seclusion from the world. The only person she could see as something as close to a friend was Zuko and General Iroh but there has always been an air of superiority between them that Katara always found hard to become accustomed to; they were her masters, she was a lowly slave. Here, with her brother and the Avatar, she felt that she could start anew and finally forget her foolish feelings for the choleric prince.

"Yes, I agree."

"Welcome aboard, Katara."

---

_Not very much, but this chapter will prove vital later on. Show me you love (or hate) this story so I'll know whether to continue this or not._

**Poll:**

_**Who do you think Katara should end up with?**_

Zuko

Aang

Another person (which will be an OC if you guys chose this one)

_It's a pretty stupid question here, but I have a plot twist that you will enjoy (hopefully) and your answer will be vital to the story line. Thanks!_

**Rienne :P**


	6. Chapter 6

**March 23 - A very happy birthday to my dear friend, Erik(a) (nyahahaha) who was one of those idiot friends of mine who gave me my names, Hermaphrodite Queen and Darth Couvader when they weren't sure if I was a girl or a boy (for full explanation, see my bio). This one is for you, you faggot magnet (no offense to transvestites here)! He turns 18 today. I feel like a kid while all of my classmates are of age, I'm still a bloody minor. Blegh. **

**Chapter Six: Couldn't Get You Out of My Head**

"The Avatar has been spotted, my lord," the soldier reported as he bowed low to his master, Prince Zuko.

"And where is he headed?" asked Iroh, knowing that his nephew's mind was somewhere else and not focused on the Avatar or any means of capturing him.

"On the island of Ba Sing Se, your grace."

"Hear that, Zuko?" said Iroh as he faced his recalcitrant nephew who was brooding deeply about his 'escaped' slave, Katara.

"Yes, I heard it loud and clear," responded the Fire Prince with an edge to his tone.

"Shall I go up the brig and tell them to go to Ba Sing Se?" He didn't have to add, _Or will we go after your slave?_

Zuko didn't hesitate as he said, "The Avatar is our main priority. Tell the men to turn the ship around and head west to the city. I'll have the Avatar sooner or later."

_And when I do, you're next, Katara. You'll never get away from me this time._

---

Aang, Sokka and Katara went deeper through the forest, all thoughts of going stealthily in case of a Fire Nation camp nearby got thrown away in the wind as their footsteps echoed loudly through the empty woods and they chatted away noisily.

"So, what's it like in the Fire Nation?" asked Aang.

Katara was about to reply that despite the barbaric and scary demenours of the Fire Nation people, their country was the exact opposite of their personalities. The cities were large and densely populated, true, but the streets were clean, crime rates were at a minimum (thanks to a strict police which wasn't averse to burning criminals on the spot even for doing something petty like stealing a tomato), everyone had a livelihood enough to support their families, and the citizens were heavily disciplined. Beautiful gardens were sporadically situated around cities, villages and towns for during the reign of King Sozun, his wife loved plants and passed a law that every city or town must have at least two large gardens she would surely enjoy. Plants from all over the world were imported and some exotic animals did not go amiss as well.

Katara could remember Zuko telling her that his own mother also loved plants and was seen touring the nation in her search for new plants for the Royal Gardens.

Katara mentally slapped herself for thinking about the man who crushed her heart unremorsefully.

"It's…fine, I guess," Katara hedged. "Cities are largely populated and police are around every corner. That's it."

"That sounds boring," commented Aang.

"Yes, because most of the people are out there in their uniform, terrorizing other nations just so they could expand their own," bit Sokka cynically.

Katara was about to defend the Fire Nation but she stopped herself just in time.

_It was never your home, remember that. All the memories there are better off as just being that: mere memories that you are bound to forget._

_Even though you know yourself that you could never forget about him._

Katara sighed, not knowing that the misery she was feeling was greatly reflected in her eyes and Aang stared at her, wondering silently what could have caused his new friend her pain.

---

After they found the rundown barn where Aang and Sokka kept the flying bison, Katara acquainted herself with the fantastic creature amidst her former misgivings. She was afraid of approaching the animal first and sought to earn its trust by giving it an apple she had in her bag. Appa took the apple and proceeded to lick Katara happily while the poor girl screamed in terror and had to be saved by the laughing boys. She was angry at first but then laughed along with them and hugged Appa, saying that she was happy to be his friend.

Next, Aang introduced her to Momo, his flying lemur. This one Katara enticed with some leechi nuts. The lemur took it gladly and flew to her shoulder where she continued to feed him until she was out of nuts.

"Come on, we should go now," prompted Sokka.

"Okay, fine," said Aang and together they helped Katara get into the huge saddle at the back of the flying bison.

"I never flew before," confessed Katara as she settled herself in corner and grabbed the side of the saddle until her knuckles went white. Sokka held her other hand and squeezed reassuringly.

"I was afraid at first but you'll get used to it," he said. "Aang, Appa and I would make sure you wouldn't drop, okay? Just trust us. You'll be safe."

Katara gripped the saddle less tightly but didn't let go of Sokka's hand.

"Are you guys ready?" asked Aang up front.

Sokka said yes while Katara nodded nervously.

"Okay, then. Yip yip!"

The whole island could hear the terrified screams of a girl as the sun set over the horizon.

---

"Sir, we have already reached Ba Sing Se," the soldier reported as he put down his telescope.

"Excellent," murmured Iroh distractedly while he played Pai Sho with the sub-captain of the ship. "Aha! Lotus tile! I win!"

"No you don't," the sub-captain said, not afraid of being snarky since it was the happy-go-lucky General in front of him and not the hot tempered Prince. "The Lily tile beats the Lotus tile! You owe me a new tea set! Yes!"

Iroh stared at the board in front of him and smiled, "Ah, this time I must admit defeat. You were a worthy opponent. Shall we do this again?"

"At any time of your convenience, General Iroh."

"Excellent," Iroh said again. He turned to a soldier by the door. "Go and alert Prince Zuko of our nearing port. I should warn you that he's meditating so be careful. He doesn't like to be interrupted when he's meditating."

Iroh's words turned to be the understatement of the year. Upon knocking on the door, the soldier was met with large, scorching flames that would have ended his life had he not jumped from the crossfire sooner.

"What is it, Uncle?" Zuko grumbled as he reached the brig.

"We have just reached port on Ba Sing Se," said Iroh as he stared at the unfortunate soldier who followed him and took his place back at the door although shakily and one shoulder smoking.

Zuko immediately straightened up with a glint in his eye.

"The Avatar will be mine."

---

Zuko entered Katara's room, as he was found to do every time he felt angry, sad or just downright missing her, though the last he would not admit to anyone not even himself.

He sat on the cot, grabbing the pillow and pressing it to his armored chest. It still smelled the same: of detergent and not a trace of Katara.

It's been five days since she upped and left but even though he would spend most of his time training or meditating, determined to forget her, he would still come back here and old memories opened again, haunting him mercilessly.

Zuko stared at the small space which hadn't changed since then. He had forbidden anyone, even the cleaners to enter except himself. It had become his sort of sanctuary and when he couldn't sleep at night for want of her, he would sleep here instead. It was stupid and sentimental of him but he couldn't get her out of his mind especially during nights when he felt so cold his inner fire couldn't warm him anymore. He felt that only her warm body next to him could heat him again. He cleaned this place himself, an act that would bring shame to his father had he known that his son would lower himself and do the menial job of housecleaning but he didn't care.

He sighed, got up and left the room, locking the door behind him.

_Katara…come back to me. I need you. _

---

_Again, uneventful but the next one will be full of action! Next time: Katara and Zuko cross paths again but will it simply be a crossing or will they finally be together again…for good? What will Aang and Sokka say when they learn of Katara's sordid affair with the Prince of the Fire Nation? Please **REVIEW** and you guys may learn the answer to these questions sooner than you think (I like surprising people with my sporadic updating, so sue me :D). _

**Poll results:**_ All going for a ZukoxKatara except for one who wants another character in the mix. _

_Your wish is my command. A heartbreaking and romantic Zutara it is. _

**Rienne :P**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Only Way I Can Destroy You**

(Edited version)

Zuko's team headed for the woods, their heavy footsteps pounding against the hard earth and creating echoes enough to be heard throughout the whole forest. But stealth was not on Zuko's mind as he neglected to yell at his group to not create too much noise lest the Avatar hear them and be forewarned. His mind was too preoccupied with the fact that Katara could be here somewhere. Yes, the distinguished—yet ironically, shamed—prince of the Fire Kingdom wasting his time thinking about a slave when his concentration should be on the Avatar.

The thought brought a sardonic smile to Zuko's lips. What was happening to him? He wondered briefly before a noise made him stop in his tracks.

"I sense something," he muttered to his troops and they immediately stilled, years of training in various martial arts immediately tensing their hard bodies for action.

Zuko crouched low behind some tall bushes and the others followed his stance. Slowly and silently, they made their way to where the noise was. With the utmost caution, they reached a small clearing several yards away. Zuko immediately signaled to his troops to scatter around the area while he did the reconnaissance.

He peeked from behind a thicket, his unscarred eye observing the area. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him: the Avatar, the annoying Water Tribe idiot—and Katara.

As a (former) slave of the Fire Nation who has shown her loyalty to him during countless of times, Katara looked pretty cosy with his worst enemies. She sat near the Water Tribe boy and was touching his arm gently in a familiar way that it made Zuko's blood boil yet he ignored the nuance that it could possibly be jealousy. She was laughing with them happily while sharing a pot of some kind of food. A flying lemur—Zuko thought that they were already extinct ever since the Fire Army wiped out the Air Nomads—scrambled on the lap of the Avatar before perching itself on Katara's shoulder where she fed him small nuts.

They looked like a sickeningly happy family.

Unable to contain his rage any longer, Zuko stood up, a fireball in his palms. This was the signal his men were waiting for and as one they emerged from behind bushes, atop the tall trees, almost everywhere—and surrounded the Avatar and his camp.

The Avatar and the other two stood up immediately and were in their fighting stances, the boy pulling out a boomerang and Katara summoning some water from a cloth canteen.

"What do we have here," Zuko sneered with all the calm he could muster, "the Avatar and his cronies. Oh, what a happy little gathering…but unfortunately, the last you will have."

He heard the Avatar say something but he didn't listen and fixed Katara a hateful glare that intensified when he saw her step nearer to the filthy plebian.

He threw the fireball in his hands at the Avatar while simultaneously aiming a fire dagger straight to Katara….

…

Katara thought that her heart stopped as soon as she saw Fire Army soldiers suddenly spring up from nowhere it seemed. If these soldiers were here then that would mean that _he_ was here as well. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and managed to shoot to her feet despite the queasy feeling in her stomach. She had only one decision to make: she had to fight her former master. Summoning water from her canteen, she focused it into a small ball, ready to use it as a water whip to defend herself.

When Zuko appeared from the shadows, a fireball in his palm and eerily lighting up the planes of his face contorted in rage, Katara felt her pulses quickening and her breath becoming ragged and shallow. He looked no different since the night that she left him more than a week ago. He did look paler than usual but other than that, he was still the formidable Prince she had fallen so helplessly in love with.

Katara mentally slapped herself. She never did love him, she told herself repeatedly. It was just an infatuation.

She knew that if she went on with it, she would believe in it herself but the heart can never lie to itself.

The look Zuko shot her was full of menace and the promise of fates worst than death; if possible, it had even more venom than the sweeping glare he gave Aang and her brother. On instinct, she stood closer to Sokka as if merely touching his clothes would give her the extra strength she needed and strangely enough she felt it had.

"Since it's futile to ask you what you want as we all know that from the beginning," said Aang in higher pitched tones than his normal speaking voice, "let's say we skip the niceties and get this over with."

Zuko didn't reply as he threw a fireball at him and a fire dagger at her. Reacting quickly, Katara whipped the dagger away with her water and as such was distracted enough not to notice the soldier behind her aim another one at her back. Fortunately, Momo, who was still perched on her shoulder, squeaked loudly in warning and she crouched down, sweeping the legs of the soldier with her feet and he tumbled down. Katara bent down and applied pressure to his jugular with the use of her fingertips and he was immediately unconscious.

Another soldier came after her and this time, used her water whip to hit him in the eye, the cheek, the groin, and the legs. The masked soldier was down in a second, wincing in pain. Grabbing a couple of knives from the inside of her tunic, Katara threw them at one of Zuko's men who was attacking Sokka and killing the man as she got him in the throat and chest. Sokka stared at her incredulously but she ignored it and threw a few more knives at the other soldiers. Those she didn't manage to kill were rendered unconscious or were slowly bleeding to death.

In the frenzy of the battle, she forgot the first principle Aang had told her when they first met: Never kill anyone. When he fought, he made them unconscious but made sure that nobody was really killed in the fray. That was also Sokka's principle, and Katara who was trained to kill found doing battle without bloodshed more than strange but she shrugged it off and admired the morals of the two men.

"Katara what are you doing?" yelled Aang as he brought down three soldiers with a sweep of his staff and neatly avoided the fire blast Zuko shot him.

Katara barely heard him as she delivered a chopping blow to the neck of her enemy. Sokka quickly disposed of his assailant and went over to Katara. He slapped her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded as he shook her sister like a doll. "You're killing them!"

"This is a battle," answered Katara stonily. "Battles are meant to have blood spilled one way or another."

"You've never said truer words, pet," drawled Zuko pleased that his slave still had not lost her edge during fighting.

"Shut up!" Aang delivered a mighty blow to Zuko that sent him crashing to a tree and crumpling to the ground.

Aang went over to Katara; she refused to look at both boys in the eyes. She was ashamed of herself. On her feet was a small pool of blood from the soldier she had so mercilessly slaughtered.

"Come back to me," a voice rasped behind them. They all turned around and saw Zuko slowly going towards them. "Katara, my faithful slave, my constant companion…." A smirk graced his bleeding lips. "Remember those cold nights in the sea? Who was there to warm you? Don't deny that you need me." The leer in his voice made Aang and Sokka sick as they realized the hidden meanings in his words.

He was Katara's lover.

Katara covered her ears with her hands, yelling: "Stop it; I am no longer your plaything! You cast me out of your life. Leave me alone! I don't need you! I have Sokka and Aang and they are all I need!"

Zuko's face contorted more as blinding rage enveloped his senses. Suddenly, he felt as if he was no longer capable of coherent thinking. Katara was rejecting him in favor of the two boys in front of her.

"They could never satisfy you the way I do," Zuko spat out contemptuously, finding a sadistic glee in the way the Avatar and the Water Tribe boy's faces changed color in disgust and anger. He was past caring of the damage his words brought forth. "You are mine. You were mine the minute I set eyes on you. You swore yourself to me, you whore. I saved you from all those who wanted you. Never tell me that you never wanted me during all those times because you did and now you're ashamed of all of it because of what? These two—boys?"

Katara hesitantly opened her eyes to gaze into his. Pools of molten gold glared back at her, the smoldering gaze he gave her made her week in the knees as it always did. Desire was a ridiculous thing to be feeling at this time and place but she saw it in his eyes and she feared that it was reflected in her own too so she shut her eyes and hid behind Sokka.

By now, the fury Aang and Sokka felt were beyond words. The air seemed to crackle with electric energy as Aang and Sokka could no longer contain their antagonism for the teenager in front of them who was positively spitting in his rage and jealousy. Katara collapsed to the ground in her misery, fat tears cascading down her flushed cheeks.

"Just this once, Aang, let me kill him," Sokka said through gritted teeth.

Aang didn't reply, his grip on his staff tightening until his knuckles turned white.

"At this point Aang, I could never forgive this monster for what he's doing to Katara. He's destroying her!"

"I did more to her than you could ever imagine," Zuko mocked.

The arrow tattoo on Aang's forehead glowed as he said, "Sokka, take Katara and run. I'll be the one to kill him."

Seeing the look in his face, Sokka decided not to argue. With great difficulty, he pulled Katara to her feet and carried her unresisting form in his arms as Momo went for his shoulder. The Prince of the Fire Nation hissed in outrage.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Zuko growled.

"Go and die you motherfucker," Sokka roared back. He told Aang to give the arrogant asshole a kick in the groin for him and he made his way through the trees to where they had hidden Appa.

Sokka stared down at his distraught sister and thought that she would be slowly going insane if this keeps up. She was babbling incoherently and crying so hard he thought she'd dehydrate soon.

What really happened to you during all those years, Katara?

---

_I realize that I made Zuko a complete bastard in this chapter and it seems far from the pining!Zuko in the last chapters. Remember that Zuko is a volatile character and I like to think that his rage and jealousy drove him to the point that he sought to destroy Katara not only physically but mentally as well. I'm studying as a Psychiatric Nurse so I know that mental damage can be far more serious than physical damage. _

_In all honesty, I hate this chapter and wished it could be more but my muse abandoned me in the middle and I was forced to work with whatever dredges of coherent sentence construction she has left me. Oh, how cruel she is. Anyway, I edited this a bit and I still feel as if this chapter is lacking something. I hope you like the (scant) improvements._

_Please __**REVIEW**__! I was sorely disappointed at the lack of reviews that I got for last chapter. But in any case, I already reached 95 reviews, which is 85 more than I thought this story will have…until the end. __**So a million thanks to all of you readers and reviewers**__:D_

**Rienne :P**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Best Excuse To Bleed With You**

Aang's power steadily increased as he let his blinding rage envelope him. He had never felt this angry at another person before. Since he could remember, genteel monks had always taken care of him and he had adopted their soft nature about things. Though he was trained in the art of fighting, he only used it for self-defense and never threw a punch without provocation. Even during fighting, he rarely let his emotions get the better of him.

This time, he more than welcomed the rush of fury he felt as he glared at the hateful monster in front of him. How dare he torture Katara like that? Aang realized that as hi slave, he took certain liberties with her person but he never imagined that it would stretch to that! To think what Katara had possibly gone through….

Wind collected at his feet, making a whirlwind that sent him up until he was level at the tops of the tallest trees. Twirling his staff in his hands, he created a small twister of compressed air. He lunged forward to where Zuko stood on the ground, fire on his hands and feet. Zuko gave his own blast of his hottest fire as Aang's small tornado came upon him in a matter of seconds. Fire and air collided in midair as two powerful forces collided and tried to overpower each other. But it seems that the two were perfectly matched as they disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

Aang landed on his feet gracefully and shot several balls of pressurized air to his opponent. Fire blasts and wind strikes blasted each other out of the way as their masters lunged at one another with startling speed and accuracy.

Zuko delivered a mighty blow aimed at Aang's chest but the Avatar ducked and blasted powerful wind against his stomach. Zuko flew to the nearest tree trunk and he was sure that he felt some of his ribs break. Breathing heavily, he got to his feet and the battle ensued.

After a few more minutes of elements clashing and killer moves, flora lay incinerated and ash and smoke rose from the ground to be carried in the passing wind.

Aang and Zuko glared at each other as they panted forcefully; their bodies were stretched beyond the limit at the forceful battle they had had. Perspiration trickled down their bald heads and they felt the strain as their muscles protested violently against the unwarranted exercise.

"Ready to give up, Avatar?" Zuko mocked.

"I can never forgive you for what you did to Katara," hissed Aang.

"You don't know what you're saying. You were never there," retorted Zuko, smirking evilly.

"I know enough of what you've done to her, you animal," growled Aang, his eyes cold pinpoints of steel.

"Want to know the rest? It's a very interesting story, really. I saved her and she swore herself to me. But I guess that I wasn't enough for her insatiable whorish tendencies and she had to jump at the first eyesore like you and that Water tribe plebian—"

"Shut up! Don't you ever talk about Katara in that way! She's my friend! You already defiled her in body! I won't let you defile her just because you can't accept that she chose us instead of you!"

Aang ran straight toward him, gathering all of his wind at the end of his staff. He hit Zuko squarely in the chest and the Fire Prince was thrown in the air before landing on the ground with a painful thud.

"If only had I not taken a vow to never kill anybody, you would be dead by now," said Aang with all the venom he could muster. "Come near Katara again and I'm ready to break every principle I have to destroy you."

Aang turned on his heel and opened up his staff into its glider form. He flew to where they hid Appa and hope that nothing happened to Sokka and Katara while he was not there.

…

"Aang you won't believe what had just happened!" Sokka yelled hysterically as Aang reached the rundown barn.

"What's wrong? Where's Katara? Where's Appa?" Aang asked in rapid succession, fear tearing at his bones.

"Katara's still hasn't gotten a grip on herself," Sokka bit out angrily. "The bastard nearly destroyed her. Appa's been poisoned. When I came here, he was moaning in pain. It seems that he ate something that his four stomachs didn't agree with. You attend to Appa while I go look after Katara."

Biting back his protest—as he also wanted to see to Katara—he nodded and went for Appa who was at the corner, his eyes scrunched up in pain.

"What did you eat there, old buddy?" asked Aang gently, rubbing his furry head.

Momo squeaked and pointed to a small clump of berries.

"Drad berries." Aang recognized the poisonous berries and wondered where Appa had gotten them. "How much did you eat?"

Appa groaned miserably in answer.

"Sokka!" Aang called and ran for his friend where he sat on a corner with a shaking Katara in his arms. He was trying his damnedest to calm her down but she was crying steadily, clutching at Sokka's clothes in a death grip, afraid to let go.

"What's wrong with Appa?" said Sokka wearily as he rocked his sister back and forth like he used to do when they were little.

"He ate some drad berries. How he got them, we'll never know. But he should be up in about a day. I know it's dangerous to still be staying here but we have no other choice," added Aang as he saw that Sokka was about to object heartily. "There's a chance that they thought we've already left and they also headed out."

Sokka bit back the oath on his tongue and proceeded to look after his disconsolate sister.

"Katara, we're here," said Aang gently, laying a small hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "We'll never leave you. You, Sokka, Momo and Appa are all family that I have in this world. I hate to see you cry like this. Whatever he did to you is in the past. Please stop crying…or I'll start crying myself."

"Y-you don't know…what…he did to me," sobbed Katara uncontrollably. "I-I-I-I c-c-can't even t-tell you what he did. He destroyed me inside out. I'm n-not even w-w-worthy of being in t-the same p-p-place as…you."

"Whether you're worthy or not is up to us to decide," interjected Sokka. "Now tell us: what did he do to you?"

"Y-You'll despise me if…you knew." Katara burrowed herself deeper in Sokka's arms. Aang reached out to her, covering her hand with his and squeezing.

"Sokka's your brother and I'm your friend. We could never despise you. Now please, tell us," Aang said softly. Katara gripped his hand tightly and gave a tremulous smile that sent a new wave of happiness for the two. On cue, Momo flew beside Katara with an offering of leechi nuts at her feet. Katara stretched her hand out to Momo who scrambled to her lap where she gave him a one-armed hug as her other hand was still in Aang's.

She took a deep breath and told them everything.

…

"I can't believe that happened to you," said Sokka when she was finished hours later. "When you were captured, I knew that they either kill you or make you their slave." He gathered her in his arms more closely and planted a small kiss on her head. "I am so sorry, Katara."

"It wasn't your fault," said Katara quietly. "You never knew."

"But still, I failed to protect you!" gritted Sokka. "I feel so useless. When they attacked the village I should have fought harder. But I was weak. It only took a hit in the head and the next thing I knew only ten of us survived the holocaust."

"You protected me a while ago. When I broke down, you never left my side. That is enough. If I can't do self-deprecation, you can't do it as well," admonished Katara.

Aang managed not to let his emotions show though his heart was silently bleeding for the girl. In the short time he had known her he had grown to admire the quiet strength she had. After hearing her sordid tale, his admiration increased tenfold. He never knew of anyone to have undergone the same thing she had and still have their sanity intact. Aang felt a tightening in his stomach and dismissed it.

He could never allow himself to fall in love with her.

Aang cleared his throat. "It's nighttime. We all need the rest, especially you Katara. It's been a harrowing day for all of us. Hopefully Appa would be up and about by daybreak and we could leave for Ba Sing Se. We'll be safe there. Let's get some rest."

He stood up and pulled his hand away from Katara's death grip.

Katara stared up at him with limpid azure eyes. "Can you…can you sleep with me tonight?" Seeing both boys blush, she added quickly, "I mean, can we all sleep together, as in beside each other. It would make me feel safer."

Aang and Sokka smiled, granting her request.

That night, she lay in the middle of the two men whom she had grown to care for more than words could ever explain, holding one of their hands in her own and sleeping the most comfortable sleep she'd had in years with a smile on her tear-stained face.

…

Zuko lay in his mattress, staring up at his ceiling. One of his soldiers who was still back at the ship had come looking for them as were Iroh's orders. He found the Prince half-dead on the ground and his troop either dead or dying. The wounded were taken back for emergency operations post-haste. Iroh, who had more than ample medical knowledge, oversaw Zuko's treatment for four broken ribs, a shattered femur and several bruises and cuts.

Wrapped in bandages, Zuko remained perfectly still for even the slightest movement brought a sharp pain to his chest. Though trained to endure even the most difficult pains, he let his body rest while he thought of what had transpired today.

Katara had abandoned him fully. The Avatar beat him (again). Five of his men were killed by his slave.

An immeasurable sadness overtook him when he thought that the only person who, aside from Iroh, had ever shown that they gave a damn about him was truly gone from his life forever. He loved Katara, even if before he had not known the meaning of love. Katara taught him that with her easy smile and personality. She lighted up his dark life. When he was banished from the Fire Nation, unwittingly she was the first person he thought of. Their first time together had not only satisfied him physically, but also spiritually. She gave everything of her to him without question. She had served him faithfully at the risk of her own life. He thought she had cared for him. Maybe not loved but he always felt that she had feelings for him.

But when he thought back, it was possible that all she felt for him was pity. Her motherly nature kicked in and she cared for him because she felt sorry for him. She never loved him enough to want to come back to him.

The thought brought a bitter taste in his tongue. He should forget that he had ever loved her. From now on, all he should feel for her was hate. Hate was an emotion he was familiar with and it was more constructive than love. He had read of nations destroying each other because of love. Love was a useless emotion.

He knew that to save himself from the insanity of things was to destroy Katara.

Ignoring the remonstrations of his broken body, he got to his feet and hobbled to his closet. He reached for a small jar at the corner of a locked drawer and pocketed it.

Katara will pay.

But first, he had to get her.

…

Zuko knew that the Avatar still hasn't left the island, on reasons only the Avatar himself would know. Zuko knew that he could launch an attack on them but as it happened, most of his men were still weak. The Avatar was strong, that much credit he'll allow. He himself could die of he provoked another battle in his vulnerable state.

He crept to the deck quietly and threatened to have anyone thrown overboard if they alert Iroh in case Iroh should come and try and stop him. The old man was too protective for his taste. He ordered a soldier to accompany him to the island using a small boat. Once on shore, he ordered the masked man to stay where he is as he would do it alone.

Zuko dragged himself through the woods, searching for the Avatar's camp. He found a small dilapidated barn a hundred meters away from where they had fought earlier. He went around the perimeter and peeked from a dusty window.

In a corner and lying on a ragged cloth on the floor were the three, with Katara in the middle and holding hands with the two boys and sleeping with a smile on her face. Zuko's rage went beyond boiling point but he calmed it down and searched for a way to enter the barn. The door was securely locked; it would squeak loudly enough to wake them if he tried to open it. He noticed that the window had a small crack in it. Pulling out the jar from his pocket, he contemplated silently of what he was about to do.

The jar contained a special mixture of incense created specifically to control minds. But it could only be used for one command at a time. The amount of incense in his pocket was enough to control only one person. He debated whether he should use it for Katara and have her back in his clutches where he could give her the punishment she was due or for the Avatar and have him captured so he could go back to his Nation as a hero.

Decision made, he lit up the incense and dropped the jar through the crack in the window.

"Katara…" he whispered, his voice soft and melodic. The girl let go of her companion's hands and got to her feet. She opened her eyes and he saw that they were glassy; the incense was working. The Avatar and the plebian stirred a bit before embracing each other. "Come to me, my dear slave…where you belong."

Katara blindly went towards him and opened the window where she crept out and into his arms. He embraced her tightly, grinning maniacally before leading her to the boat and back into his ship.

…

_Ah, the plot thickens. Two updates in two days! That must be a record for me. The muse has finally graced me with her presence for a while and nagged me to write this or she'll never let me sleep. I am weak to her will._

_Please, REVIEW! Oh, and I also revised last chapter, so maybe you could look in on that as well. The change was nothing major, though. Added some bits and checked the grammar as I neglected to do that. _

New Poll:

_**Which personality of Zuko do you like more?**_

_CompleteBastard!Zuko_

_Pining!Zuko_

_Evil!Zuko_

_ColdYetStillFeeling!Zuko_

**Rienne :P**


	9. Chapter 9

**WARNING:**** if you haven't noticed, the rating is already changed to an M because of this chapter. The following chapters/scenarios are not for those uncomfortable with sexual references, non-consensual sex (i.e. rape), sexual violence, nudity and obscene language. You have been warned. **

**THIS CHAPTER POSTED ON FF (dot) NET IS EDITED TO REMAIN WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE RATING APPLIED AS PER THE RULES OF POSTING IN THE SITE. (For the full version, please go to my bio for details.)**

_May 15, 2007 – Edited and reposted due to mistakes in the song lyrics. I apologize._

**Chapter 9: Deliverance**

I was having a dream. It was a nice dream that didn't involve hot tempered princes and little boys with the power of all the elements in his hands. I was in a place where nothing existed yet everything I needed was there. It was an infinite whiteness. Sure. Calm. Serene.

I loved it here and never wished to return to the real world again, where pain and suffering seemed to be the only feelings that exist.

A sweet, pungent smell filled my nostrils, and made me relax even more. I recognize it. The scent of spring blooms, summer shrubs, autumn leaves, and winter bark blended together.

Instantly, a voice called out from somewhere. There was no one else in this place except me. Who had dared to enter my sanctuary?

I was alert at once and on my feet, drawing out water from my canteen.

My canteen wasn't at my side nor was my weapons.

"Who are you?" I called out; sweat forming on my brow.

The voice was soft. "I am here for you. Katara, I need you. Come to me. You belong to me."

My body clamored to be brought to the voice but I resisted. I wanted to stay in this place.

"No," I said as strongly as I could. "I want to be here."

"You don't understand," the voice said. "You belong here with me. We will make our own sanctuary that's just for the both of us. Wouldn't that be nice? It will be filled with all the things that we need. There will be no one else there but us. No problems, no worries…just you and me. We'll spend our days in bliss. Tell me that's what you want."

I was instantly wary but the scent came on stronger and I was suddenly pliant against this voice's will. "I will come with you," I responded.

I drew out my hand.

A strong embrace enveloped my slender frame and I thought no more.

…

Spasms such as never before racked my body. The pain came on strong. It felt as though my body was being thrown on a hard floor.

I cracked open one eye. The last person I wanted to see for all eternity came looming before me, his face mere inches from mine. I could feel my pupils dilate in fear and apprehension at his cutting stare. I tried to speak but a cloth covered my mouth. My limbs were bound tightly with nylon ropes. I struggled.

"There, there," the prince said, his voice melodic and soft, sounding just like the voice that spoke to me earlier. Damn! That's why the voice sounded familiar. The 'dream' I had came crashing against my consciousness. The scent. His voice.

Mind control incense.

I groaned in self pity for falling for such a trick. He had shown me the incense years ago, when I began my training as a bodyguard for him. I thought that I had already developed my resistance for it but I was sadly mistaken.

"My little Katara," he continued. "You were such a naughty little slave. You ran away from me. Why is that?"

I didn't answer but stared at anywhere except for his eyes. I was in his room back at his ship.

Okay, must think. Must use years of training.

Item no. 1: Captured by the Prince. Bad. Very bad.

Item no. 2: Pinioned to his bed by ropes and his body. Definitely worse. Strangely aroused at his half-naked body so close to mine.

Item no. 3: My seriously sex-in-a-draught body betraying me at a time like this. Ridiculous.

Item no. 4: No immediate means of escape. Consider me dead.

I forced myself to look at him, to those pools of molten gold that had fascinated and frightened me for so long. I took a deep breath and forced all the calm I could muster in that gaze. He sensed my sudden quietness and smiled.

"Still using the same tactics I taught you," he remarked with a hint of satisfaction. "Act calm in times of danger and only then will you be able to think a way to get out of it. You were always my best student. You're not in any danger, my Katara. At least, not yet."

His laugh was darkly ironic and spoke of things I would not rather think about at the moment.

His finger trailed from my cheek to my exposed collarbone, igniting a spark in my belly. He saw the desire surface in my eyes and grinned.

"I always manage to do that to you, don't I Katara?" he breathed, his lips following the trail of his fingers. "Arouse you before I could even really touch you."

The banished prince began sucking and licking at my neck while I willed myself to remain unresponsive to his touches. His fingers deftly undid the knot of my tunic, and then I felt the assault of the sea air on my bared stomach. He let his hands trail to whatever part of my body it could reach, his touch making my temperature rise and my breathing heavy.

When his mouth went lower, brushing against the valley between my breasts, I trembled violently, lust consuming me in its flames and I was its pliant slave. Thoughts of betrayal and vengeance ran away from my mind as I focused more on his searing kissed all over my body. I yearned to touch him, torture him in the same way he was torturing me but I was still bounded. I writhed against him, trying to convey to him to let me go. He ignored my efforts and continued on to his sweet punishment.

Zuko finally reached there, that secret spot where I could feel all of my heat building up, where I ached for the thrusting invasion of his body. As I watched in anticipation, he suddenly looked up with a feral grin on his face. I felt myself become a puddle at his intense eyes.

"No, not yet," he said, licking his lips. "Consider this part of your punishment, my pet."

He climbed back so that his face was level with mine and yanked off the gag in my mouth. I barely had time to protest in pain before his mouth enclosed mine.

It was far from a kiss; more of a clash of lips and teeth. He violently tried to force my mouth open, which I did more than willingly to allow the assault of his tongue against mine. He drew my tongue to his mouth and bit down. Hard.

I whimpered in protest. In answer, one of his hands went up to my nape, threading through my hair. He pulled me off him so harshly by my hair that I could feel my scalp tearing apart.

"Not ever again," he grated. He was up for three rounds that night. I thought that I would die from the fatigue. He rarely let go of me.

It seemed an eternity before he let himself go. My body sighed in relief. I was unduly tired. It felt as though I ran a marathon from the South Pole to the North Pole.

I collapsed on the floor at his feet, breathing heavily. The prince leaned towards me, saying, "Your punishment is only beginning, my pet. Don't think I'm over with you yet."

He straightened up and took his robe hanging from a post nearby.

"There's no time for rest," said Zuko, belting his robe. "I'm taking a short shower. We have training to do. Be ready when I get back or you're cleaning the deck for a month—alone."

I sat there, stunned, and watched his retreating back as he went inside his private bathroom. His punishment was unusual for lack of better word. Whoever heard of dying from being oversexed? Usually after such an athletic…exercise…he would let me rest. It seems as if he's purposely trying to tire me out, hoping I'd drop dead from exhaustion.

Well, he's succeeding, I thought harshly as I tried to stand up though my knees were still shaky. I grabbed my clothes from the floor and put it on. I reeked.

I think a shower is in order as well.

I'll have to plot my escape later.

…

"You're slowing down, Katara!" Zuko spat as I went down on the deck floor. There was a manic gleam in his eyes. I grunted but stood on my feet albeit shakily. We've been training for at least two hours without rest.

Where does he get his stamina? I asked the heavens when I blocked an attack from behind.

"Don't tell me that what happened in my room exhausted you," he sneered when he was near enough.

"It would take more than that to tire me, my lord," I answered cockily.

He smirked. "My lord, is it?" He lunged at me, effectively pinning me down to the ground.

"If you really think of me as your master, then why did you leave me?" Zuko asked furiously, glaring at me.

I gathered as much calm as I could. It would not do to show fear at this time.

"You threw me out," I replied softly. "It broke my heart to leave but you gave me an order. I was compelled to obey." I blushed at my admission.

His hands moved from my arms to embrace me fully, his face buried against my neck. We breathed heavily of the salt-scented air and let the serenity of the ocean be the only sounds heard.

"Do you know what happened to me when you were gone?" Zuko whispered close to my ear. "I was absolutely half mad with want. I refused to believe I did such a foolish thing…letting go of my greatest servant."

I could feel my heart breaking. I thought that he missed me. As in, me, as a person. But he only missed the part where I would willingly take an arrow for him.

In his eyes, I would only be forever as his slave.

With great difficulty, I pushed him away, and got on my feet.

"I'll prepare your bath, master." I almost spat out the last word in distaste. I turned around and ran to his rooms, ignoring his repeated yells.

…

"What was that about, Katara?" Zuko demanded, bursting in and finding me kneeling beside the bathtub filled with hot water.

I chose not to answer him. "Your bath is ready," I said instead.

His lips curled at my defiance. "I see."

With one swift movement, he had thrown me to the wall and his mouth descended on mine hungrily. It felt like a kiss fifteen years in the making. I can feel his hurried movements against me as he took of his clothes and mine. Within seconds bare skin pressed against bare skin, and I shivered at the contact.

I tried pushing him away, not in the mood for athletic sex but he pressed himself harder. I felt his length pulsating beside my soft thighs and I was lost in the frenzy.

My moans only increased his pent up desire. His hands traveled all over my body.

When I felt his lips latched on to my neck did I find the strength to speak.

"Please let me go," I pleaded and it only made him double his efforts to turn me into a puddle of Katara.

It was quickly over. After withdrawing from me, he threw me in the bath and he followed. I sat still, catching my breath.

"Never again will I let you run away from me," he whispered savagely. "Your home is here with me."

It was the last thing he said before he claimed me again.

…

**Here you are again **

**I can feel you breathe down my neck **

**Whispering his name **

**While whistling those killer melodies **

I lay beside him, his arms around my small frame. His grip was so tight that I knew he was preventing me from escaping.

I snorted uncharacteristically. As if I could. Not with the security tightened up.

I lay still, waiting for a chance to slip away. We were in the middle of the ocean so escape was nigh to impossible.

But I have to do it. I'd rather die than stay here. Being tortured everyday by loving a man who could never love me back.

I'd die in the waters. It was a nice thought. I'd die in my element.

**You give me that face of an angel  
Like you once had  
And I am nothing  
But a creature of habit**

His grip slackened. Now's my chance. I drew his arm away ever so carefully. But my heart was thudding fast. He was a light sleeper.

My heart skipped a beat when he opened his unscarred eye.

"Where are you going?" he asked groggily.

"To the bathroom," I replied gently, drawing a hand to close his eye. "It's still too early. Sleep."

"You'll go away if I do."

"I'll still be beside you in the morning."

"Promise?" He was like a little boy.

I smiled in spite of myself. "I promise. Now let me go or I'll pee in your bed."

"Ew!"

He immediately drew his arm away. I stood up.

"Sleep my prince."

Zuko did not need further encouragement and slept on.

I fished my clothes from the floor and threw them on. I tiptoed out of the room, hoping against hope that he thought I was going to the bathroom, and not outside.

**Running away in circles  
But I've been found by  
This gentleman  
That flew me up high**

There were no soldiers in the hallway. Good. Fighting might cause a racket that could wake him up completely.

I climbed up the deck. There was a single sentry moving around. I hid behind boxes and coils of rope lying around, avoiding him.

I was prepared to jump to the icy waters below when I remembered the whistle that Aang gave me. He said that this whistle can only be heard by animals.

Was it too much to hope that Appa could hear this whistle? Nevertheless, I took it out of my pocket and blew as loud as I can. I didn't hear anything.

My heart sank. We were too far off in the ocean to be heard anywhere.

Well, this is it. I'm going to die. I'm sorry that I didn't get to say goodbye to Aang and Sokka.

But most of all, I was sorry that the man I loved the most could never be mine.

**Now I can see clearly now **

**I'm telling you to let go of me **

**Now that I've found my way back home **

**Where I belong **

As I was about to jump to my icy death, something flew overhead.

"Katara!" someone shouted. Sokka.

I was saved.

**No longer a slave **

**Running away in circles **

**'Cause I've been found **

**By this gentleman that flew me up high **

"Sokka! Aang!" I yelled back, not caring that our shouts already alerted the whole boat. In seconds every guard was up at the deck with me.

Aang summoned wind that carried me up to where Aang hovered above us. I was immediately lifted to Appa's saddle where I landed with a thump on Sokka's outstretched arms.

"Aang! Sokka! Appa heard my call!" I yelled in joy at seeing my friends again.

"Yeah. We were flying some miles away but Appa made a sharp turn. We knew that you used the whistle," Aang explained.

A fireball went flying past us.

"Can we leave the explanations later?" said Aang. "We have to escape them first."

"Katara!" a voice yelled below. It was Zuko. He fired bursts of flame one after the other, hoping to take us down but Aang was swiping them away with a wave of his staff.

I refused to look down.

"Let's go!" Aang said, and pulled on Appa's bridle.

It was the second time that my heart broke that day.

**Get out of my head **

**Get out of my dreams **

**Get out of my soul **

**Get out, get out, get out, get out, get out **

**No longer a slave **

**Running away in circles **

**'Cause I've been found... **

Because I knew that I would never love another besides him. And I was running away from him again…when I promised I would stay.

…

I watched as the girl I had loved fly away…back into the arms of the man I knew she loves.

She loved that Water tribe boy, not me. It brought a sharp pain to my chest to know that.

I had loved her for so long. I had given her everything that was in my power.

But it wasn't enough for her.

When I had her back in my arms I was resolute in showing her that I was the only one for her. I was obsessed at punishing her but I was only punishing myself, making love to her, pouring out my heart and soul to her during the times we were together.

It didn't mean anything to her.

My heart blackened.

The next time she would be in my arms, I'll show her real punishment.

Never would I love her again.

…

_Whew! That chapter was long and hard to write! The full version is over 4000 words long! Please, __**REVIEW!**__ I think my brain cells are fried. It was hard to think up what happens when people do the deed so I had to rely on my stack of FHM magazines and chats with my horny best friends, (who are all male and are currently laughing at my being a virgin. The bastards.) and so now they're wondering what prissy little old me is doing wanting to know what happens. They think I'm getting laid soon. _

_This chapter had a different style of writing but I kind of like it. The song is by Kitchie Nadal entitled, Deliverance._

**Rienne :P**


	10. Chapter 10

-1**Disclaimer:**Not mine.

_Unbeta-ed. Mistakes are all mine._

**Chapter Ten: Throw The Dice**

"So what gives?" inquired Sokka as he and Aang dug into a tasty dish of nuts, root crops, nuts, herbs, and nuts courtesy of Katara. "Why does he keep on chasing after you? Aang, I can understand since he's the Avatar, but why you as well? Normally, when he tries to capture Aang, he'll just have his men try and kill me."

Katara, who hardly touched her food, gave a forced, weak smile at her brother. "He must find it pretty hard to find a new, capable slave," she joked half-heartedly. "You know, he has to train her how to serve him and everything." But as she spoke of it, a sharp pain coursed through her chest at the thought that he might have just replaced her by this time.

It's been more than two weeks since she escaped his ship and so far, they haven't seen or heard of him which was good, Katara tried to tell herself firmly. The group tried to be incognito, but it was hard to hide the fact that they were travelling with a huge flying bison.

Aang observed his new friend closely. As much as he didn't want to butt in to her private affairs, he wanted to understand her better. It was clear that she was hurting, from what he cannot say for sure. Besides, she was really cute so it was a shame that she would always have that sad, far away look in her eyes all the time. 

Damn it, what was happening to him? Aang wanted to slap himself in the face. It's been a week since that happened, for crying out loud! A week since he tripped face first in a puddle of mud, and it was her who helped him up and cleaned up his disgusting face with her scarf while Sokka laughed on hard from behind. She stood so close to him he could smell her scent, and she was speaking (admonishing) so softly to him that it made his heart pound. She was just really attractive to him, that's all. And since he grew up with limited interaction with the opposite sex, it was a bit hard to be suddenly teaming up with one. Basically, he didn't know how to approach her.

"Hey, Aang, are you going to eat that?" asked Sokka, who already had his own spoon poised in his bowl.

Waking up from his silent contemplation, Aang snatched back his bowl. "No way!" This food was made by Katara, so hands off you prat! He began to devour his food at a fast pace and in result, began to choke.

It was Katara who came to his aid, patting his back and offering him some water. With tears in his eyes, Aang drank the water and when the food finally managed to get past his oesophagus, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Katara," he said reverently. "You're my hero."

Katara smiled--again, he saw the sadness in her eyes and it made him a bit miserable as well. "Take your time to eat your meal; it won't go away. It's dangerous to be just scarfing it down."

"Ha, you've never travelled with Sokka before," pouted Aang.

"I'm his sister, don't you think I know how gluttonous he is?"

Aang made a sheepish smile while Sokka protested.

Katara passed her bowl to Sokka. "If you're still hungry, you can have my share. I don't have an appetite." She stood up. "I'm going to take a bath. I saw a spring here somewhere."

Aang and Sokka immediately went into protective mode.

"No way, I won't let you near me while I bathe," she objected. "I can protect myself. And besides, this forest is too thick for anyone to find me. I'll be fine. I just need some time to relax."

"Okay, but have this," said Sokka. It was a wood-whittled whistle. "Use that if you're in any trouble and we'll come running to you in two seconds flat."

Katara took the whistle, nodded gently and went off for the spring, clutching her bag with her.

But as she disappeared behind the undergrowth, Aang felt that something was not right.

He shot to his feet, taking his stick-cum-glider with him.

"Where are you going, Aang?" asked Sokka through a mouthful of nut stew. 

"Just checking around the area," Aang replied shortly. "Reconnaissance, you know." He could hardly tell him that he was going to follow his sister to the bath; who knows what he'll think of that. _I'm going to watch your sister as she takes a bath, but only to protect her. I promise I won't look at anything I'm not supposed to. Yeah, right._

Aang took off, with Sokka wondering idly what reconnaissance meant. 

"Momo! Those are my nuts!" 

"Uki?"

"Yeowch! My other nuts!"

…

Katara peeled off her clothes gingerly, wincing slightly as she took off her belt. The bruises she received from Zuko where hardly healing and occasionally stung when touched. She could heal them as easily as breathing but for some reason, she didn't feel the need to. Great, she was becoming masochistic. 

Becoming? She was already masochistic to begin with. Images of her last night with Zuko flashed through her brain, delivering a sharp shot of heat through her body. She shook her head, embarrassed at her desirous thoughts and stepped into the cool waters, hoping that it could drop her temperature down.

As she scrubbed with a piece of rough cloth, she thought that it would be nice if she could raise the temperatures of the water even slightly. She could turn ice into water but wasn't skilled enough to heat it. The basics of water-bending only allowed her to drop the temperature of water, not raise it so that it could evaporate; after turning it into ice form, she could heighten it to four degrees Celsius but that is the limit so it could return to fluid mode. Water needs to be kept at a temperature below boiling point to be liquid--and below 0 degrees to be solid. It is beyond the capacity of normal water benders to be able to control water vapour as it means that they would have to control air as well. After all, the origins of water bending could be traced to people observing the gravitational pull of moon on the seas, causing the tides. To talk about it in a molecular level, the atoms of water are packed in liquid form, though not tight enough as in its solid state to be able to remain a fluid. It makes it easier to control the tighter the packing of the atoms. Unlike fire or air, which relies on gases, elements like earth and water needed to be in their solid or liquid states for the benders to control them. Therefore, Waterbenders could only handle water in liquid and solid form. For her to be able to heat the water then, she would have to be the Avatar. However, theoretically speaking, once you're skilled enough and have exchanged all of your sweat, tears and blood, you could also master bending evaporated water. 

In conclusion, Waterbenders could not raise the temperature of water above boiling point just like other-element bending which could raise or lower the temperatures but only at certain rates. Though come to think of it, Firebenders could make their fires as hot as it possibly could--up to 5000 degrees, a blue flame--though those cases are rare and needs a certain expertise. 

But as Katara thought about it, there are some stories of people who could control two elements. Like fire and earth (they could make pottery). It takes years of dedication to hone skills like that, plus the parents must also be skilled benders of different types as well. But due to the war, it's rare to find interracial marriages. Of course, only the Avatar could control all the elements. 

As Katara pondered on it, wondering if there is a way to control water vapour without necessarily having to control air as well, she proceeded to finishing up her bath and sitting down by the grassy bank to brush her hair. 

Katara stared at her comb. It was made of fine ebony, glossed and painted with intricate flowers and birds. They were docking at a marketing village somewhere in the Earth Kingdom when Katara had noticed the comb being offered by an old lady by the road. The old lady wanted to sell it to her along with some other beautiful accessories but being the absentminded fool that she was, forgot her purse at the boat. Katara apologized to the lady, saying that she needed to get back the ship to get some money when Zuko, who was watching her under the pretence of checking out some armoury from the stall across, took the comb in his hand and examined it.

"This is a very intricate piece of work," he had said softly.

The old lady had nodded fervently, her jowls bouncing. "Yes, my son made all of these beautiful things for his future wife. They were supposed to get married within a month but suddenly, she ran off with some other suitor. He was devastated and…threw himself from the edge of the cliff. I grew too old to take care of our farm and in time, I lost that as well. It pains me to do so, but I have no choice but to sell them to be able to survive." She smiled suddenly at Katara. "However, I know that my son would be happy to know that a beautiful young lady such as yourself would wear something he made."

Katara smiled. High pressure sales lady. 

Zuko ordered Katara to turn around and without warning, twirled her long braid into a bun at the nape of her neck, using the comb to secure it. 

"Pretty cute," he had remarked, a soft smile touching his lips while Katara blushed furiously, fingering the comb. "We'll take it, and everything else you have." He chose a clip with a large enamel cherry blossom with silver leaves and baubles to stick into her hair along with the comb.

Zuko took out his own purse, counting the coins. If Katara had noticed it, instead of being too obsessed about her new, unprecedented gifts from her master, she would have seen Zuko give thrice the value of the accessories to the old lady, who could not stop smiling and bowing at the young prince. It was basically more than what she needed to survive for months.

There were two more combs and four more clips that Zuko bought that day, and Katara kept them all, hardly ever taking them out of the mahogany box Zuko gave her to keep them in. 

The box was her greatest treasure. 

…

Zuko stood at the helm of the ship, observing the island at the horizon, which was getting bigger as they got closer. After a few excellently placed threats and bribes on the other surrounding islands they sailed past, he got word that there was a strange group riding in a flying monster landing on one of the Tsunachi islands. 

Zuko felt like he hit the jackpot. 

But it was no time to fool around. As soon as he got wind of the location of the Avatar, he thought of a plan with his generals and Uncle, figuring out the best way to secure the Avatar. 

"Katara, your former servant, is with the Avatar, correct?" said Li Feng.

Zuko nodded sharply while Iroh watched him in the corner of his eye. 

"According to reports, the Water Tribesman that the Avatar is seen with, the idiot-looking one," said General Xing, "he's Katara's brother. They were spotted on the village of Jingsheng a week ago, and a stall owner distinctly recalled them calling each other brother and sister. This was solidified by the fact that the owner said that they looked alike. The Avatar himself mentioned about them being siblings."

This piece of information made Zuko's heart pound though he disguised his surprise by raising an eyebrow. "And your point is?" he asked coolly instead. _Damn, so that's why they were so close the last time I saw them! Damn it all!_

"We're saying that this is a perfect way to secure the Avatar," continued Li Feng. "We capture the Water Tribesman or Katara, we capture the Avatar, simple as that. If he is as noble as we think he is, he would not let his comrades be captured while he flees."

"Hostage tactics. Impressive." Zuko rose from his seat, then with a mighty blow, set fire to the whole room. Iroh merely deflected it all, but the others who were not accomplished benders nor quick in reacting got a full brunt of their master's fury. "You idiots!" he yelled into the room. "Do you not think that I have thought of that as well? You know that I have tried capturing the Avatar's stupid companion to lure him but they always manage to get away."

His men fluttered about, thinking of some plan to pacify their master or put out the fire in their uniforms. Most of them would have to refuse looking in a mirror for a few weeks to save their self-esteem, such was the state of their burned faces. 

"We'll do it this way," Zuko said in his best obey-me-or-die voice. "We need to separate them, then incapacitate them one by one until there's only the Avatar left. Together, they could be formidable enough to escape us. Alone, they need a miracle." He pulled out a scroll from underneath the table, which was thankfully not singed, spreading it out. He took his brush, dipped it in ink and began to scribble and write. "I have a plan. Follow it and the Avatar is ours."

…

Aang watched as Katara began to comb her hair slowly, the tangles and knots in her dark brown hair smoothening against the friction of the ebony teeth. He had hidden himself behind the thick leaves and branches of a nearby tree, refusing to look at her while she bathed. He may be attracted to her, but he wasn't that perverted. Once he had heard her come out of the water, then gave her enough time to dress, he took a peek again, relieved that she was fully clothed and was fingering a wooden box with a dreamy, serene smile. 

He had never seen her smile like that before, as if she were looking at a priceless piece of treasure or something. When Aang thought about it, she looked like some of the monks at the temple, whenever they looked at their disciples. 

It was love. 

Because of human reaction, Aang immediately thought that the box must have been a keepsake from her village, not considering the fact that it was fairly improbable on so many counts. After all, he could hardly think that the first girl he was to have a major crush to look at a something so lovingly that was a gift from another man. 

Aang sat down at the branch, wanting to savor the moment. He loved watching her like this, as if he were witnessing a moment of great importance. 

Aang didn't realize it, but his feelings were far from being a major crush on the class beauty: he was totally in love with her.

…

A week later, Aang was down with a fever. It was quite a shock for himself and his team mates; the great Avatar taken to bed with a slight cold. He had never been ill, as far as he knew. Not even a little sniffle or two. The other disciples in the temple gotten ill sometimes with the flu or measles or chickenpox, but he never got them, and therefore, didn't know how to handle himself.

"Am I going to die?" he asked breathlessly, watching Katara go in and out of focus as she put a cold compress on his forehead to lower his temperature. They were staying at an inn to allow him to have a warm bed so he could recuperate faster. Appa and Momo were taken to the nearest farm, and for a small fee, were cared for by the elderly farmer. Katara had used up most of their funds but they reasoned out that it was an emergency.

Katara smiled, "No, you're not. This is just a cold. It will pass. All you need now is rest and plenty of fluids."

"I'm…sorry to trouble you like this."

"Don't be. I'm happy to help. Sokka's gone out to buy some things so I could make you a soup."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now, sleep."

Aang shook his head, afraid for a moment that if he closed his eyes she would be gone. What was this feeling?

"Why not? You need to sleep or you'll never get well!"

"I'm…scared that you'll go if I close my eyes." He was breathing rather heavily now, and all of his rational thought was out the window. 

Katara smiled again, this time more softly, as she took his hand, enclosing it in both of hers. She leaned from her seat across him with the intent of giving him a small kiss on the forehead as a good luck charm to help him get better but Aang moved so that her lips met his.

Blushing furiously, Katara withdrew sharpish and Aang realized what he did even in his feverish state.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered, trying to raise himself up with considerable effort. "I-It's just that…I know that we've only known each other for a short time but you're the first person to make me feel this way. It's as if I want to stare at you all the time, like I can't take my eyes off you. Your smile, it makes me smile too and when I hear your voice, my heart makes a crazy leap. It sounds irrational, but that's what I feel."

"A-Are you sure that you feel that way, and that you're not imagining it?" she asked faintly, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm sure of it."

Katara sighed, coming back to his side and getting him to lie back down again. 

"You're just sick. Come on, sleep." She closed his eyes with a sweep of her hand. "I'll wake you up when you need to take your medicine."

Katara stared at his sleeping face, thinking that he was too young to even know what he was feeling. Granted, he was over a hundred years old, but he had the mind of a twelve-year-old.

_Dear, sweet Aang. Don't fall for me. It would end up hurting us both. _

…

If there was something strange going on between Katara and Aang, Sokka was the last person to see it. Katara was always quiet, so it wasn't surprising that during the two days that Aang had been ill, she hardly said anything to both of them. She performed her duties to take care of Aang in a perfunctory manner, though she left the tasks of bed sheet and clothes changing to him. Aang wouldn't look at Katara in the eye either, genuinely embarrassed about his actions towards her. 

However, on the second night, someone knocked on Aang's door. His fever subsided but he still needed at least one more day's rest to be able to recuperate properly. He sat up gingerly, testing his weight on his feet as he stood up to answer the door.

He opened it, expecting it to be Sokka in search of some midnight snack but to his surprise, it was Katara, wearing nothing but a long, blue cotton night dress with her hair loose. In his imagination, she looked like a nymph.

"Katara? What is it this late at night?" he managed to voice out beyond the unexplainable feeling rising in his stomach at the sight of her so beautiful.

"May I come in?" she asked and when he didn't reply, she stepped in anyway, making herself comfortable in his bed.

Sokka had taken the chair from his room earlier and had never given it back. Aang had no choice but to sit down beside her, though at a distance. 

None of them spoke for a while until Katara said, "About what you said a few days before…about what you felt for me…. Were they real?"

Aang sighed. "Yes, they were real. I've never felt this strongly about another person before, so I'm a bit confused about it all. But if this makes you uncomfortable, I'll swear I'll stop…I'll -"

Katara scoffed, "It's not something you could stop on a whim; believe me I've tried." She faced him, her blue eyes shimmering with a silent plea. "If you love me, please do me a favor."

But as Aang was about to ask what favor she wanted, Katara leaned in, capturing his lips with her own, pushing him to the bed with her body. Pleasure and shock coursing through his body, Aang could only stare, aghast at what was happening. He didn't know what to do in this situation. This wasn't included in his training! Hell, he didn't even know what happens between marriage and having kids.

Katara broke away from the kiss, burying her tear-stained face in his neck, clutching at him as if he were a lifeline. 

"Please, just for one night…. Please, I beg of you…" she sobbed hysterically. 

Aang couldn't understand what she was saying but gave up trying to make sense of it. He closed his eyes, letting his instincts do everything. He embraced her tight, savoring the moment to hold her like this. 

He rolled them over, so that he was on top, letting him see her crying face as she looked up at him, pleading. 

He let his emotions take over as he dipped his head to hers, one hand deftly pulling at the bows that closed the front of her dress tight….

…

It was a sudden chill that shook Zuko awake while he lay in slumber in his quarters. Annoyed, he snapped his fingers, making that fires in his room grow bigger, giving more heat. He never had to worry about being cold in his bed, as there was always Katara to share it with him, keeping it warm, keeping _him_ warm. Dear Agni, he wanted to admit how much he missed her, but his hurt pride wouldn't let him. 

But as he lay back down, pulling his blanket closer to his body, he could not help but feel that the chill was different…as if it spoke of an omen. 

Irritated at his own paranoia, he drifted back to sleep. 

---

_Before you throw all those pitchforks, let me apologize. It's been a year short of two months since I last updated, and you all have good reasons to be pissed at me. Inspiration for this story has left me for some reason--though the most likely cause is my short attention span--therefore I was left with a blank on how to continue this story. I am sorry if you find this chapter half-hearted, boring, and somewhat predictable, but it is the best my mind could make up as of the moment. A lot of you has been trying to help me, coming up with ideas and such but I could not for the life of me, even manage to write a decent sentence, let alone paragraph so it had taken this long time for me to update. Again, I apologize. _

_I hope I haven't lost my readers (sheepish grin)._

_Well, I hope you still enjoy this chapter and please **READ AND REVIEW**! They are all prized and highly appreciated._

**Rienne :P**


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